


Birthright: Gray Whirlpool (Storm)

by PT_Piranha



Series: Gray Whirlpool [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: #Blame Iago, Angst and Humor, Ball Pit, Blood, Casual Leo, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Fire Emblem: Fates Spoilers, Fluff, Game Shows, Happy Ending, Hoshido | Birthright Route, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Jousting Sisters, Mikoto backstory, Mikoto weirdness, Oboro racism, Pocket Sand, Rick-Rolling, Skewed Nohrian politics, Subaki's impeccably clean hands, Suicide, Super Saizo Bros, Zelda reference, Zola did nothing wrong, expired cinnamon roll, fishing for Azamas, good ol' yandere Camilla
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-07-22 14:32:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 83,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7442767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PT_Piranha/pseuds/PT_Piranha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lady Corrin has chosen to fight for Hoshido. Watch, as she reconnects with her family and discovers how weird they really are. Now, if only they could stop calling her 'Kamui'...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Turning Hoshidan

"I choose Hoshido!"

There they were, out in the field by Hoshido's borders. The Nohrian invaders and Hoshidan defenders were stunned by the declaration.

Corrin (Kamui, as her birth family called her) had wondered how events had led to this moment. Then, the last few weeks of her life flashed before her eyes.

...

_Gunter – "Lady Corrin, train with Xander."  
_ _Xander – "You beat me, now you can live with us."  
_ _Camilla – "I love you Corrin!"  
_ _Elise – "I love you more!"  
_ _Garon – "Go kill the prisoners!"  
_ _Kaze – "I am a ninja."  
_ _Rinkah – "Fire puns!"  
_ _Leo – "I secretly spared the prisoners for you."  
_ _Garon – "Go to the border with Hans."  
_ _Hans – "ME KILL! KILL GUNTER!"  
_ _Gunter – "Wait wha-"  
_ _Mikoto – "Welcome to Hoshido! I'm your real mom!"  
_ _Ryoma – "Sister."  
_ _Hinoka – "Sister!"  
_ _Sakura – "Sister?"  
_ _Takumi – "Meh."  
_ _Azura – "I'm mysterious."  
_ _Mikoto – "Oops I died."  
_ _Kaze – "Oh, Kamui's a dragon now."  
_ _Ryoma – "Revenge!"  
_ _Yukimura – "Lady Kamui can wield Yato!"  
_ _Ryoma – "So… revenge?"  
_ _Xander – "Wait! Come back with us, Little Princess!"  
_ _Corrin - "Uhhh…"_

...

"So, uh, yeah…" Corrin awkwardly started. "Xander, I think it'd be good if… Nohr kinda… didn't invade."

"Corrin… you're betraying us?!" asked Xander.

Corrin winced. "Uhh, I don't know if I'd call it _that_ , it's just… I think… Hoshido might be… justifiably upset after all the Faceless attacks, and killing Mothe- Queen Mikoto. So… y'know…"

"So you're betraying us."

Corrin sighed.

"I guess I am…"

"I see how it is," Xander said with a scowl. "We're just not good enough for you. Look, we all knew you weren't our own blood, but we didn't care! We still loved you!"

"I-I know, but-"

"So you just run off with these guys, just because they're your blood family?! They've only known you for a week! Maybe two!"

Corrin glared. "I already told you, I have other reasons! Like unprovoked Faceless attacks! Or that attack on the festival that killed the queen! Or that time Hans started a fight at the canyon and killed Gunter, right before he tried to kill _me!_ " It felt surprisingly good to vent about this, and Corrin was not even finished. "I met the Nohrian princess who'd gone missing all those years ago! Apparently Nohr's been like this for years! We can't just let it go on like that!"

Xander looked around nervously. "… Father wouldn't have tried to have you ki- Oh I can't say that with a straight face." He sighed. "Okay I get it, you're upset with Father. He's very rough. But betraying Nohr is a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?"

"Turning against that man because he tried to have me killed _twice_ is overreacting?!"

"Well…" Xander fumbled, "you _did_ kind of fail to kill those prisoners… Father's one of those begrudging types..."

"What?!"

The prince frowned. "Corrin, it's not too late. Come back with us, and I'll forget all of this. Come on, we can even make fun of Leo's collar together!"

At the mention of that, Leo quickly checked to make sure his collar was on correctly.

"I've made my choice, Xander!" She shut her eyes. "Hoshido has done nothing wrong, and Garon is a monster!"

"I see… In that case…" Xander took a deep breath. "You're dead to me." He prepared Siegfried and attacked with a crimson beam, knocking Corrin on her back.

"Aaah!" Corrin's scream made Xander wince, but he did not stop. He was about to attack again, but was then hit with lightning.

"AAAH!"

Ryoma ran up and prepared his sword for another strike. "How about you pick on someone your own size?"

"Fine. Let's go over there and fight," Xander suggested, pointing to the distance. Ryoma nodded.

"Good."

The two princes went off to fight, signaling to the rest of their respective armies that it was time to battle.

A downtrodden Elise was following behind Leo and Camilla, all on their respective mounts. "Does… Does Corrin not love us anymore?"

Camilla smiled, though she and Leo both knew it was fake. "Oh don't be silly, Elise. Corrin's just confused right now. We'll bring her to her senses."

"Yeah... Sure…" Leo was not willing to lie to himself.

* * *

Back with Corrin, Sakura was helping her back up from taking Xander's attack. Hinoka gritted her teeth from atop her Pegasus. "I won't let them take you again, Kamui!"

"Get your hands off her, only _we_ may serve Lady Corrin!" called a familiar voice. Corrin and her sisters looked and saw who it was.

Running up to them were the tired, and ragged forms of both Jakob and Felicia. Corrin gasped, surprised to see her servants here, of all places, and in such condition. Hinoka, however, was feeling differently.

"Nohrian Scum! Trying to sneak up on us, eh?!" Hinoka glared.

"Wait Hinoka, stop! I can talk to them, they were my servants!" Corrin cried.

The princess finally got back up and walked over to Jakob and Felicia. "Jakob, I'm so happy you're safe! And Felicia, it's good to see you too! But… I'm sorry, guys. I left Nohr. I'm staying in Hoshido now."

"Ah. Understood," Jakob said with a nod. "But what are your orders?"

Corrin frowned. "Jakob… I'm not the Second Princess of Nohr anymore. I've left them to fight with Hoshido and my birth family."

"Ooh, you're from Hoshido?" asked Felicia. "So those villagers were right!"

"We heard you loud and clear, milady," Jakob said. "But do you remember what I told Gunter before? Wherever you go, I go. I will follow you to Hoshido if it means serving you, it does not matter to me."

Felicia nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Me too! Flora wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but she didn't stop me."

"Flora…" Corrin thought about the maid, but then registered what Jakob and Felicia were saying. "So you're not mad at me for betraying Nohr? I'm technically not your boss anymore."

Jakob and Felicia both bowed for their lady. They spoke as one. "We live to serve."

Corrin smiled and immediately hugged them both, beginning to cry. "Thank you… Thank you so much! I couldn't bear it if I'd hurt you guys…"

"Aww, that's okay, milady!"

"Lady Corrin, you're getting tears on my shoulder."

Hinoka and Sakura had been watching this whole time, slightly confused. It was Sakura who had broken the silence. "S-so… are they with you?"

Corrin broke her hug and then nodded to her sisters. "Yeah… They're with us." A light went on in her head. "Wait, how did you both know where to find me?"

Felicia perked up. "Oh it's a weird story! You see- Aah!" Tree branches sprung from the earth, forcing Corrin and her servants to jump away in opposite directions. Everyone turned and saw Leo, glaring.

"I'm not going to spare anyone just to please Camilla and Elise. Not anymore." His glare deepened as he eyed Felicia and Jakob. "That includes you two, as well."

He was then hit with Hinoka's naginata. "Then I won't spare _you_ , either!" cried Hinoka. "This is for stealing our sister in the first place!" She turned to Sakura. "Sister, tend to her wounds! New guys, get her somewhere safe while she recovers!"

"Y-yes!"

Sakura and the two servants did as instructed. Leo gritted his teeth as he stared Hinoka down. He thought aloud. " _T_ _his would be easier if Niles were here to snipe her…"_

* * *

Camilla and her wyvern were flying around, taking out any Hoshidans they saw, until an arrow whizzed past. Takumi groaned.

"How did I miss?!"

"Oh the little boy wants to play, how cute! Fair warning, I play _rough_."

Camilla swooped down to hit Takumi with her axe, but Kaze materialized from a puff of smoke, and blocked with his shuriken. "No, no roughhousing while I'm around. You'll have to think of something else."

"Hmph! You're only alive because I felt sorry for Corrin, Mr. Ninja. But if killing you will- Aaah!" Camilla ducked down to avoid one of Takumi's arrows. "That was close…"

With Camilla holding off against Takumi and Kaze, Elise found herself face to face with Rinkah. The troubadour frowned. "P-please! I just want to see my sister again!"

Rinkah raised her club to attack, but faltered. "… Aww drat. You're just a little flicker. I can't put you out yet."

At that point, Elise saw Camilla pulling back. She was wounded, with a shuriken sticking in her armor's shoulder. "Elise… we should… go…"

"Camilla!" cried the smaller princess. "I can heal you, don't worry!"

Leo then limped up to the two of them, on foot and clutching one of his arms. "… She took my horse! She. Took. My. Horse!" He spit some blood. "Who even does that, honestly?!"

Rinkah backed away slowly from the awkward sight of the defeated Nohrians.

* * *

Xander and Ryoma were still going at it.

"You fiend!"

"Your hair is stupid!"

"You've ravaged our lands!"

"You look like a lobster!"

"Would a lobster do _this?_ "

Ryoma quickly attacked Xander five times in succession, the fifth knocking him off his horse. The horse whinnied and ran off. Xander slowly stood back up. He saw Corrin and Azura standing together some distance behind Ryoma. He glared. "… You're no sister of mine."

The crown prince turned to the troops. "NOHR! FALL BACK! WE MUST RETREAT!" Xander limped away, as more Nohrian forces began to evacuate. Before long, the invaders were mostly gone.

* * *

The Hoshidan troops began to mount their horses and Pegasi, then head back. Azura stopped and noticed Corrin and Ryoma standing together in an embrace. She was curious, but realized Corrin needed some space. Especially today.

Corrin had been crying into Ryoma's shoulder, and the samurai had waited patiently for her to let it out.

"… It couldn't have been easy. I don't blame you for feeling this way."

Silence.

"… I understand… if you don't think you can take it. I won't ask you to fight with us-"

"No…" Corrin finally spoke. Her voice was tired, but firm. "I should have known this would happen, when I decided to fight with Hoshido… But to actually hear Xander speak to me that way…" She finally separated herself from Ryoma. "No, I'm ready… Garon has to pay for his crimes. I still love Xander, Camilla, Leo and Elise… But I want to be with my blood family too."

"Blood…" Ryoma repeated. "I see…"

"Lady Corrin!" a new voice cried. Corrin and Ryoma looked up and saw the tiny dragon, Lilith.

"Lilith!"

"Who?"

Lilith floated down to Corrin's eye level. "I saw what happened, and I'm so sorry you had to go through that. But I can help!"

"Kamui, who is this?" asked Ryoma. Corrin faced him and smiled for the first time in a long while.

"Ryoma, this is Lilith. She used to be a stable hand back at the fortress I was raised in. But now she's a dragon. Kind of like me, I guess."

"Corrin, I'll go with you! You and your allies can reside in the Astral Plane within my crystal ball!"

"Astral… Plane?" asked Ryoma. Corrin nodded.

"It's an empty fortress in a grassland inside her crystal ball." Corrin thought about it. "Hmm… I don't know, though. But… I wouldn't mind it if you wanted to stay with me." She turned to Ryoma. "If that's okay."

The samurai nodded. "I think that would be a good idea. Especially if you're friends with this dragon. A warm, familiar face might be what you need right now. But I… I have some business to attend to."

"… Thank you… Brother."

Ryoma smiled and walked off, passing Azura on the way. Azura decided to approach Corrin and Lilith.

"So… What's all this about?"

"There you are, Lady Corrin!" said Felicia, with Jakob following behind. "Ooh, pretty fish!"

"Fish cannot fly, Felicia." Jakob rolled his eyes. Kaze appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Is this being giving you trouble, Lady Kamui?"

Then finally, Rinkah walked up. "Time for some fried fish!"

"Whoa! Everyone, calm down!" Corrin called, waving her arms. "No, this is Lilith."

"Lilith?!" repeated Felicia and Jakob. The butler shook his head.

"This is our stable girl?!"

"Well… you lost a lot of weight, Lilith!"

"Um… thank you?"

Corrin sighed and went over what she and Lilith spoke of back at the Bottomless Canyon. Most of them seemed to accept the story easily. Azura herself was the one to comment.

"Well, you can turn into a dragon yourself, so it's not that weird."

"You can do what?!" asked Jakob.

Corrin smiled. She had indeed abandoned her family in Nohr and will be remembered as a traitor. But she knew that her blood family were right about everything. King Garon was not her father, he was a tyrant and needed to be stopped. And as much as it hurt Corrin for Xander to disown her, at least she could still rely on Felicia, Jakob and Lilith, as well as her new friends and family.

**To be continued.**


	2. Jinya Japes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin and Azura visit Sakura at Fort Jinya just in time for things to go wrong.

It had been a week since Corrin first declared her allegiance to Hoshido. In that time, Ryoma and Takumi had left to contact a resistance cell in Nohr. This left the three sisters, Azura, and Yukimura in charge of the castle. Corrin's sisters helped her get accustomed to Hoshidan life, all while sharing stories she had barely remembered. Lilith also enjoyed life as a pseudo pet, and was regularly intimidated by Mikoto's cat.

Things were fine, until one morning when Corrin found herself and Azura as the only royals left in the palace. She walked into a sitting room, where Azura was drinking coffee. "Hey Azura. Where'd Hinoka and Sakura go?"

Azura was drinking coffee. "Huh? Oh Sakura left to Fort Jinya, while Hinoka… I don't really know."

"Huh? Shouldn't we have gone too?"

"Eh. I've never really felt like family. And then I figured you wouldn't want to be left alone so-"

Corrin leaned her head into the hall. "JAKOB! FELICIA! WE GOTTA GO!"

Azura set down her coffee. "… Fine." She looked over to see Lilith in the corner, staring down the cat. "Lilith, listen to Yukimura while we're gone."

"I'm not a pet, Lady Azura," Lilith said. She then floated to a water dish and happily lapped it up.

* * *

The journey took a few hours, and they even passed the Great Wall of Suzanoh ("Who's Susan O?" Corrin asked). But Corrin, Azura, Felicia, Jakob, Kaze and even Rinkah made it to Fort Jinya with no trouble.

"Why are you still here?" asked Kaze.

"I am an eternal flame, baby!"

Everyone sighed. It was Rinkah's twelfth fire idiom that morning.

"If I know Sakura," began Azura, "then she's inside, tending to wounded soldiers."

Everyone walked right into the fortress and found Sakura fiercely shaking a festal over wounded soldier's head. She started smacking it like a stubborn ketchup bottle.

Corrin waved. "Sakura?"

"Oh! Big Sister! Are you here to help?"

Corrin looked around at the people she had with her. "… Probably, yeah."

"O-okay… Can your… friends from Nohr help with the healing?"

Corrin turned to her servants, and they bowed, understanding. Kaze went to stand next to them.

"I'll go with them. In case people see them as just Nohrians and start to panic."

"Hmm. I hope that won't be a problem the whole time…" Corrin mused. "That leaves me, Azura and Rinkah…" She turned to her little sister. "How can the rest of us help, Sakura?"

Sakura looked around. "Uhh… I… I… My retainers can tell you!"

As if they were waiting for this moment, two new people walked into the room. One was a smallish samurai girl in pink garb. The other was a pretty man in blue and white clothing, similar to Hinoka's.

"Oh. You're Kamui. You look different than I thought," said the samurai. "I'm Kazahana."

"My name is Subaki, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, milady," Subaki greeted, bowing dramatically. Kazahana scowled.

"What, did you just try to one-up me at greeting?!"

"Perish the thought. Besides, I know to reserve my comments on whether or not people look the same as I had imagined them."

"Are you saying I don't know how to greet people?!"

"No, but I did _imply_ it."

"Hey!"

"Uhh-" Corrin awkwardly interrupted. She had the retainers' full attention. "It's… nice to meet both of you."

She offered a hand, but Subaki kept his away. "I apologize, but I have impeccably clean hands. I don't shake unless Lady Sakura wishes it. I've won contests with these hands." Kazahana rolled her eyes.

Felicia dashed into the room, fear in her eyes. "We've got trouble!"

Corrin gasped and covered her own mouth. "Oh no! You knocked something over and onto a wounded soldier?!"

Felicia blushed. "N-no! …Okay, yes. But that's not it! Nohrian forces are on their way!"

Sakura frowned. "B-but there's nobody here! Just a bunch of wounded soldiers!" The princess looked down and saw her patient glaring. "N-no offense!"

Azura put a hand to her chin. "Fort Jinya is one of the outermost points of interest. It makes sense we'd run into trouble here."

"Don't worry, Lady Sakura! I've got this!" announced Kazahana. Corrin smiled.

_Aww._

Subaki smiled as well. "And I have already devised an effective routing method that leaves you and all the patients safe, while I do most of the work." Subaki turned to his colleague. "Don't worry about it. I can do this perfectly. Because I'm perfect."

Hana narrowed her eyes. "As if! What about that time you fel-"

"NOOOOOO!" Subaki lost his composure for the first time since Corrin met him. "Er… I will revise the plan to give you more of a task…"

"That's what I thought!" said the samurai with a smirk. Corrin smiled again.

_Awwww!_

"… Is there something on my face? Stop staring at me," ordered Kazahana. Corrin tensed up.

"Oh! Sorry." Corrin cleared her throat. "Sakura, how about Rinkah and I help your retainers?"

Azura nodded. "I'll go too. My song will give you energy."

"O-okay…" Sakura started, "Hana, Subaki, I want both of you to l-listen to Kamui out there."

"Of course!"

"But… my plan… it was perfect… Very well."

Corrin addressed the retainers. "It will be good working together, Hana, Subaki."

"Whoa!" Hana waved her arm. "You're not my friend! I'm Kazahana to you!"

Subaki returned Corrin's smile. "Fear not, Lady Kamui. You may call me whatever you wish. Because I have the perfect level head at all times, and react to any nickname equally."

"So you wouldn't get mad if I called you 'Pompous Prettyboy' then?" asked Hana, sticking her tongue out.

"Of course not. Because I worked hard for these perfect looks. Meanwhile, your socks are uneven length and your unkempt hair makes you a liability," reviewed Subaki. "I would be happy to give you some advice. In fact, I was talking to Hinata the other day-"

"So can we go now?" asked Azura. "Those Nohrians aren't going to wait for you two to kiss and make up."

"Fine! We'll be done before you know it!" Hana boasted.

Subaki nodded. "And I'll be done before Hana knows it."

"Why you little-"

"Stop embarrassing me and go!" yelled Sakura, tightening her grip on her festal. Her retainers immediately bowed and powerwalked out of the room. Corrin's eyes followed them.

"Yeah… Don't worry Sakura, I'll keep an eye on them."

Azura nodded. "And I'll keep an eye on Corrin. I mean Kamui. I mean… whatever."

Felicia waved her arms. "Lady Corrin, take me with you! I gotta protect you!"

"All right. You'll come with us, but Jakob should stay and assist Sakura."

"I-I'll tell him for you," Sakura said with a bow. "And thank you for helping!"

Corrin smiled. "Hey, that's what big sisters are for! I gotta make up for lost time!"

Corrin and her allies ran after Hana and Subaki. Jakob then walked in. "Lady Sakura, where has Felicia run off to?"

Sakura faced the butler. "O-oh, she and Kamui are fighting back invaders. She w-wanted you to stay here and heal."

Jakob frowned.

_Hello darkness, Jakob's friend… He's come to talk with you again…_

* * *

A black knight with a gray cowlick was sitting on his horse outside Fort Jinya. "Phew! We had to split into two teams to get to the entrance, but here we are! Wait…" The knight squinted his eyes. He saw a few soldiers running out of the fort, including a woman with white hair and no shoes. "That looks like…"

Over with Corrin, Azura tapped her shoulder. "I think that knight over there is yelling at us."

"Hm?" Corrin looked over and saw the knight in the distance, waving his arms. "HELLO?"

"HEY! CORRIN! IT'S ME! SILAS!"

"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"I SAID IT'S ME! SILAS!"

"Cyrus? I don't know any Cyrus," Corrin said, shaking her head. "Is… Is that what he said?"

Azura shrugged.

Corrin looked over and yelled, "GO AWAY!"

Silas frowned. "DON'T WORRY CORRIN, I'LL RESCUE YOU FROM THE HOSHIDANS!"

Subaki looked over to Hana. "Does he know we can't hear him?"

"I know, right? It sounds like he's calling Lady Kamui 'Corrin'. But that can't be right."

"Men!" Silas called from where he sat. "Our goal is to seize Fort Jinya! And I know a lot of you want to kill Corrin for betraying us... But if you'd leave her for me, that'd be pretty swell. Just a thought. Okay then. Attack!"

Silas led the charge of soldiers, as Corrin and her troops got into a formation she had remembered from Leo's teachings. _Using Leo's methods to fight against his own country… No, focus! We have to protect Sakura and the patients!_

"What shall we do, milady?" asked Subaki. Corrin squinted at the incoming soldiers.

"… You and Hana take the men on the right. Hana, protect Subaki from the arrows, Subaki, let her ride your Pegasus so you can go together."

"My name is Ka-"

"Consider it done. Let's go, Hana."

Hana pouted and hopped onto the Pegasus. Corrin turned to Rinkah. "You take the men on the left and take Azura with you. Keep her safe, but let her sing if she decides to." Corrin looked at the incoming commander, but spoke to the maid behind her. "You're with me, Felicia. That commander seems interested in us. And maybe if we stop him, his troops will back off."

"Got it!"

* * *

A lot of sick and/or wounded women were surrounding Kaze. "Thank you for healing us, Kaze! Please, let us make it up to you!"

"I-I couldn't. Really, it wasn't even me healing you-"

"MARRY ME, KAZE!" called one of them.

"Uhh… Jakob, help me, please!" But Jakob was staring out the window. "Jakob!"

"Why didn't she take _me_ out there with her?"

* * *

"THE HEAT IS ON!" Rinkah cried. She was beating a Nohrian soldier senselessly, while Azura sat back and ate an apple.

"Yeah… good job, Rinkah."

…

A team of lancers were headed for Hana.

"Bring it on! I'll take all of you!"

Subaki smiled. "Not alone, you won't." He pulled out a small, glass doll. It resembled a blue penguin in red robes. "Perfection Powers, activate!" Subaki threw the doll up and struck it with his naginata. A blue mist emanated from the doll and floated along, smothering the enemies.

"Aaah! It's too perfect! We can't move!"

Subaki watched the samurai. "Go, Hana!"

"Right! Prepare yourselves!"

Hana ran into the crowd of lancers and began to go wild.

…

Corrin made a beeline for the commander and shifted into dragon form in mid-run. "RAAAAAA!"

"Wh-whoa!" Felicia nearly tripped, focused too much on Corrin's transformation. The enemy clenched his teeth and his horse reared up in fright.

"Oh gods!" Silas exclaimed.

" **NOHRIAN COMMANDER! RETREAT AT ONCE!** "

"B-but it's me! Silas! Also, why can you turn into a dragon?"

Felicia tilted her head, then gasped. "Oh! Silas! It's you!"

"Felicia? What are you doing here?"

"I'm with Lady Corrin! What are you doing here?"

"I'm with this squadron! Not that they really like me that much…" Silas sighed. "We're gonna take Hoshido and feed Nohr. And I was secretly hoping I'd get to rescue Corrin from her captors, but I guess she'd rather stay…"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Felicia said. "It's the thought that counts!"

"I guess… Oh and, nothing personal about trying to take this fortress. But I gotta."

"Oh we understand!" Felicia waved her arm. The dragon turned to the maid.

" **What? No! Felicia, there are sick people and my little sister inside!** "

"Relax Lady Corrin, I didn't say we'd _let_ him, just that we understand!"

"Wait, Lady Elise is in there?" asked Silas.

The dragon turned back to Silas. " **Who even are you?!** "

"Er, it's me. You know, Silas? We were best friends when you lived in the fortress! You'd always tell me how you wanted to go see bugs and festivals and towns! And then I took you out, but we got caught and they almost executed me!"

Corrin hung her head in contemplation. A random Nohrian barbarian ran up to her with an axe, but Felicia quickly sent a dagger in his direction to stop him. She maid worriedly turned to her liege. "Lady Corrin, Silas is trying to distract us with his backstory!"

"Am not!"

" **I don't even remember you. But hey, don't take it personally. There are a lot of people I've had trouble remembering lately."** The dragon then crouched down and pounced toward Silas.

"Uh-oh." The knight's horse carried Silas out of the way, and the dragon missed. "And you're absolutely, positively sure you don't remember me?"

" **BEGONE!** "

"What if I knew your favorite food? You like cheese sandwiches! Especially without the crust!" Corrin whipped her tail, knocking Silas off his mount. "Oof! Uhhh… Wait, I know more about you!" Corrin started stalking closer and closer to her future prey. "You always asked Jakob to eat your vegetables for you! You got mad when Lady Camilla didn't have any cookies left for you once!" Corrin was getting closer. "Uhh, YOU HAD A STUFFED ANIMAL NAMED MR. POOKIE! PLEASE DON'T EAT ME!"

Corrin stood still. " **Mr. Pookie… I remember him. And I remember… there was a little boy, with horrible bedhead… That was you!** "

"Yeah!"

"Yay, you can be friends again!" Felicia chirped. "Wait, no, we're still fighting him."

"About that…" called Azura's voice. Corrin, Felicia and Silas all found Rinkah standing proudly atop a pile of beaten Nohrian soldiers. In the other direction, Hana and Subaki were doing the same thing.

Silas stood up and cleared his throat. "Okay! This siege is over! I'm calling it! Go home, everyone!" He nervously turned to the dragon behind him. "Uhh, they can go alive, right?"

" **… Okay, but you have to leave your weapons.** "

Silas turned to his troops. "You heard the talking dragon! Do it!"

"Done!" "Yeah screw this!" "I don't wanna die!" "That samurai was kinda cute." "Please don't eat us!"

As all the soldiers ran, Silas stayed behind and genuflected. "Corrin, I'm sorry about all this. Would you like to kill me? … Please say no."

Corrin focused and shifted back into her human form. She opened her eyes and smiled warmly at Silas. "No Silas, I couldn't do that to you." Then she frowned. "But you should probably go into hiding. You're in enemy territory, and you just failed a mission. A mission for _King Garon_ , no less." Silas noted the way Corrin glared as she said the king's name. But then he saw a happier spark return to her eye. "Wait! What if you came with us?"

"Huh?"

"Silas, you really cared about me, didn't you?"

The knight nodded. "Still do! I swore that I would protect you and all that friend-type stuff."

"Then join us!" Corrin offered her hand, a big smile on her face. "I'd love to talk with you again, and you must be pretty tough if you could get through Fort Jinya's outer walls!"

"Especially since no one here could use the Dragon's Vein like you." Silas grimaced. "But why would I betray King Garon? He's the ruler of my- Yeah I can't say that with a straight face. He's crazy and needs to go down. I'll join you if you'll have me."

"Yes! But wait…" Corrin clasped her hands. "Will your family be okay with this?"

"Oh they're pretty open-minded, I think they'd understand."

Suddenly, Jakob, Kaze and Sakura stepped out of the fortress. Corrin smiled. "Guys! Silas is coming with us!"

"Ah…" said the butler. "Silas… very well…"

_Hello darkness, Jakob's friend…_

A puff of smoke appeared. Everyone but Kaze began to cough. As the smoke cleared, the red ninja from Bottomless Canyon emerged with a purple-haired woman whom was playing with her hair. Both looked fairly disheveled.

"La, la, la…"

"Orochi, focus!" barked the red ninja. Kaze frowned.

"Saizo? What happened to you?!"

"Forget about me!" The ninja then turned to Sakura and knelt down. "Princess Sakura, we appear to have misplaced your brothers."

"M-misplaced?" Sakura stuttered. "I-I don't… understand…"

The new woman was still playing with her hair. "Weeell… You know how they were both headed to Izumo on their way to their errands? Well they never showed up."

Sakura squeaked.

"Saizo, please tell us you're joking." Kaze asked the red ninja. Saizo narrowed his remaining eye.

"Oh yeah. This is all a huge jest. Orochi and I thought it would be _hilarious_ if we got beaten and then we frightened Lady Sakura with the idea of her brothers being missing or worse. Ha! Ha! _Ha!_ 'Saizo the Clown' they call me."

"All right I get it!"

Orochi turned to Corrin. "Hey! You're Princess Kamui! My name is Orochi and- pfff! Heh! Heheh! Where are your shoes?"

"FOCUS!" Saizo shouted again. Orochi winced.

"Uh, would you and your guys be willing to help us find Lords Ryoma and Takumi?"

"Of course!" Corrin said without hesitation. "I can't lose any more family."

"I-I'm going too! I'm not waiting on the s-sidelines anymore!" claimed Sakura. Hana bowed to Sakura.

"And as your retainer, I will accompany you!"

Subaki bowed as well. "And as your Supervising Retainer, I will also accompany you."

Hana glared daggers at Subaki, while Kaze looked over to Rinkah. "And I imagine you're still going to follow us?"

"Fire away!"

"Of course…"

"We sure are meeting a lot of new people, Jakob!" said Felicia. "Maybe we'll find you a nice lady friend! Then you won't be such a grouch all the time!"

"Pah. I would have to find them quite monumental to place them before Lady Corrin. I have much work to do at all times, and I believe you do too."

"So we can leave this Nohrian to die, right?" asked Saizo, pointing to Silas. "He's going to betray us."

"Nuh-uh!" Silas countered.

"… I'm not going to dignify that response."

Kaze put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Relax, Saizo. Taking him was Lady Kamui's idea, and she's the one who spared me and Rinkah."

"Well I still don't trust him."

At the same time, Corrin spoke to Azura. "So you're coming with us, aren't you?"

"I probably should."

"All right! Let's go to Izumo!"

Corrin, her servants, Azura, Kaze and Saizo, Rinkah, Sakura, her servants, and Orochi all ran from Fort Jinya, headed for the territory of Izumo. But they forgot one thing...

"Guys! Wait up!" called Silas. "I gotta find my horse!"

**To be continued.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was surprisingly fun, thanks to Hana and Subaki, and even Silas. Of the two versions of Chapter 7 (in game) I wrote, I like this more than the Conquest one. (Though when I play favorites, I still like the other one- otherwise I would have to revise it until I did like it.)
> 
> And it's not too apparent in this chapter, but it'll come up in the next one- I'm starting to have trouble balancing all the characters. This story is meant to be based on gameplay as well as plot, so that would come with the territory of benching certain characters, though I still feel a little uneasy about that. Maybe later on I can have a 'break' chapter devoted to the underused characters. But I don't know, we'll cross that bridge later.
> 
> The joke I was attempting with Hana was that everyone thinks she's too cute to be taken seriously. Between her stubborn devotion to Sakura, her voice, and being a pink samurai, it felt fitting. Not that these are bad traits, but more because she has so many of them at once. Then Subaki's joke is more straight-forward, just exaggerating his fixation on being perfect. He also has a doll of King Dedede. According to Smash Bros., Dedede is already perfect.
> 
> Felicia accompanied Corrin into battle while Jakob stayed behind to heal. Since Jakob originally followed Corrin to Krakenburg and then Botomless Canyon, I figured it would be fair to give Felicia some attention this way.
> 
> Lastly, the title is a reference to Jungle Japes from Donkey Kong. Shouldn't be hard to notice, unless you're not familiar with the series.
> 
> Hope you like this chapter, I had fun writing it.


	3. Hot Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin, Sakura, Azura and the rest travel to Izumo. But first they must pass through the Wind Tribe, a notorious tourist trap known for having nothing of interest.

It had been two days since the events at Fort Jinya. Yukimura was left in charge of the castle, while Lilith left to join Corrin's team. Somewhere past Fort Jinya, the group made it to a cavernous area known as-

"The Eternal Stairway," Azura introduced. "Except it's not really eternal. False advertising at its finest."

"It sure feels eternal…!" Corrin panted.

"Would you like to ride my horse?" Silas offered.

Jakob glared. "Gods know where that horse has been! Don't even think about it!"

Felicia looked around and raised her eyebrow. "Umm… Aren't we missing some people?"

She was correct, there were fewer people traveling along the stairway. Out of the travelers, only Corrin, Azura, Jakob, Felicia, Sakura, Kaze, Silas, and Lilith were present. Lilith nodded.

"Oh, uh, the others are visiting the Astral Plane. It's inside my crystal ball. Subaki wanted to make sure it was safe inside for Lady Sakura, and Hana went with him. Saizo walked in to make sure they didn't kill each other, and Rinkah mistook him for Kaze. Then Orochi remembered a funny joke she had to tell Saizo, and followed him as well."

Kaze raised his eyebrows. "Why would Rinkah mistake Saizo for me? We're _fraternal_ twins." He shrugged. "Though on the other hand, it gives me some peace from Rinkah's fire puns."

"Aww be nice, Kaze. But I've been meaning to ask, she said she's the Flame Tribe Chieftain's daughter, right?"

"About that…" Kaze winced. "This was sort of a secret, but… there really isn't a Flame Tribe."

"What?" Corrin furrowed her brow, and Kaze nodded.

"On paper, yes, it exists. But that was… more of a goodwill gesture to Rinkah than anything political." Kaze sighed. "Lady Kamui… Rinkah is a crazy homeless woman. There was never a Flame Tribe. We just go along with it to be kind."

Corrin stood there for a second, before turning to the others. Azura and Sakura both nodded.

"Huh…" The princess redirected her attention to the stairway. "Well anyway, this stairway is way too long. It's too bad there isn't a 5-Minute Stairway instead…"

"Oh, we could've taken that one," Azura plainly stated. Corrin gasped.

"But… why didn't we?!"

"What, I like the scenic route, sue me."

Corrin hung her head. "Well, at least we didn't run into any monsters or anything."

After a pregnant pause… nothing happened.

"… Yep, no monsters."

It was silent. A tumbleweed went down the stairs. Corrin shrugged.

"Huh, guess it really is safe here."

Lilith wiped sweat from her brow with her tiny paw. "For a second there, I was worried we'd get sneak-attacked by some Faceless or something."

Azura waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, whoever died to a Faceless? They're easy."

Everyone just stood around awkwardly for a few more moments, until Kaze cleared his throat. "So… How about we keep on going then?"

Everyone murmured in agreement and began to make their way up the stairs. Behind a rock, King Garon's tactician Iago was there, rubbing his hands menacingly.

"Hm-hm, yeees! I shall device a mmmmost devious trap for that traitor Corrin! A mmmmassive ammmount of Faceless! Only, they won't be Faceless! Rather, they will be Wind Tribalists affected by mmmmagic! And then that bleeding heart Corrin will feel soooo sorry for herself! She mmmmight just jump into the chasm from grief alone! If the Wind Tribe doesn't mmmmurder her!"

Iago checked to see Corrin's progress. "Now, let's see- What?!" He scanned the area, but there was no one there. "No! I'm too late?! Curses! I shouldn't have been mmmmmonologuing like that! You win this round, Princess Corrin!"

With that, Iago stormed off.

* * *

Everyone made it to the Wind Tribe village. It was a gathering of small buildings in a dusty desert. Azura spoke first. "So… this is the Wind Tribe. … Yep."

"It sure is hot out here!" Felicia lamented. Corrin nodded.

"Ah. Because you're from the Ice Tribe?"

"No, it's just that my maid uniform wasn't a good choice for the desert."

A group of tribalists ran up to the party and held out weapons. "Halt! You can't just walk into the Wind Tribe like you own the place!"

"W-well two of us are princesses of Hoshido. And whatever Azura is. Don't we technically own this place?" asked Corrin. Sakura tapped Corrin on the shoulder.

"The Wind Tribe is c-considered separate from… from Hoshido."

"Ohhh…" She turned to Kaze. "Kaze, can you put in a good word for us?"

The ninja raised his brow. "… Perhaps? But why me in particular?"

"Well… Azura's been helping me learn some Hoshidan words. And I learned that 'kaze' is a Hoshidan word," Corrin explained. "It means 'wind."

Kaze pinched the bridge of his nose. "… Lady Kamui, that… doesn't make sense. Saizo and I are from the same village. Away from here. And as an aside, I would sincerely hope the locals would not be creatively bankrupt enough to just name their kids after their tribe's element and call it a day."

Felicia winced. "Yeah… There aren't a whole lot of flowers in the Ice Tribe, so my sister wouldn't have been named for that."

"Oh… Well I'm just learning all about the different tribes today, aren't I?"

Jakob shook his head. "It appears you have not been paying attention to Gunter's lessons. We will have a refresher course at once."

The town guards looked at each other in confusion and then back to the intruders. "Uh, no, none of that here," said one guard. "You guys have to leave. Like, right now. Go."

"This does not concern you!" Jakob scolded. He already had a chalkboard prepared and handed out small sheets of paper to everyone. Including the guards. "Now, this area is Hoshido," the butler narrated as he drew on the board. "Over here is Nohr. This smaller country close to Nohr is Nestra, and right next to that is-"

"Hey everybody!" Iago called out. The speaking guard groaned.

"Now what?!"

"Time for my mmmmaster plan! I'm going to mmmake both sides look like Faceless to each other! And then you will mmmmmistake each other for beasts! It's a win-win! Hoshidans will be dead!"

"Uh, the Wind Tribe isn't part of Hoshido," explained another guard. " _Someone_ hasn't been paying attention to the butler's lecture."

"Iago! Why are you here?!" Corrin demanded. "And… why are you explaining your plan to us?"

"… What?"

Corrin eased up. "You… You're telling us about your plan to have us kill each other. Right in front of us."

Silas waved. "Hey Iago! If you're going back to Nohr, could you tell my family I send my regards?"

"N-no! I'm having you all mmmmmurder each other!"

In a flash of light, Hana and Subaki appeared from the crystal ball Lilith held.

"It's safe in there, Lady Sakura!" Hana announced. She gasped and quickly looked around. "Wait, where are we? What's going on?!"

"… I was not ready for today," the guard admitted.

"Hmm, a desert-based village. We must be in the Wind Tribe." Subaki grinned. "It sure is convenient that I have perfect memory of where all the tribes are located." He looked over to Iago. "And who might you be?"

"… You know what? Forget it! This whole evil plan is ruined! I hope you're happy, Lady Corrin!"

Corrin glanced awkwardly at the sorcerer. "I… I guess I am?"

"Iago out!" He threw down his hand and vanished in a flash of light.

Everyone spent the next few seconds wondering what had just happened. Sakura meekly stepped forward.

"So… can… can we move through? We h-have to get to Izumo…"

A bald, muscular man walked up to the scene. "What is everyone doing? You are all disturbing my nap- I MEAN MEDITATION! Yes… meditation. Very, very deep meditation."

"Chief Fuga! These guys are having school without a license!"

Fuga crossed his arms. "Is that so? Do you disrespect the knowledge we pass on to our youth in the Wind Tribe?"

Jakob folded his arms behind himself. "That would depend. How is your educational system ranked on the global scale?"

Azura cleared her throat. "I think it's more important that we get to Izumo. You know. To find Corrin and Sakura's brothers?"

Fuga nodded. "Ah. Yes. Neither here would be the first Hoshidan princess to attempt this. Like that one, over there."

Fuga pointed and everyone turned their attention to the southwestern corner of the village. Hinoka was there, fending off Oni Savages with her Guard Naginata.

"Rrr! This is ridiculous! Why are you guys even attacking us?!" She turned back. "How are you two doing?"

A blue-haired woman in dark gray clothing was sinking in quicksand. A blue hair bang covered her left eye.

"Hmm? Oh… I'm sinking. Again."

"What?!" Hinoka was about to do something, when another tribalist began to engage her. "Grr! Azama, help her!"

A monk with fluffy hair and squinty eyes was staring at Setsuna sinking. "Oh don't worry. Setsuna may die, but this is how she would want to go."

"It is?" Setsuna asked. "I don't remember that… But I'll take your word for it…"

"Setsuna, quit struggling and we'll pull you out in a minute!" Hinoka ordered. "Azama, help me in the meanwhile!"

"Hmm… Well I could fight, but I don't really have a naginata of my own. I did not think I would need it."

Hinoka growled and took her frustration on a nearby tribalist. "How could you not think ahead for something like this?!"

The monk shrugged. "Well it's not every day a neutral tribe begins to attack a Hoshidan princess and her dutiful retainers."

"Guys… I think I'm a little deeper in the sand than I was before…"

Hinoka sighed and fell forward on her Pegasus, resting on its head and neck. "Ohhh… Sometimes I think you're the only one who appreciates me, ol' boy."

The horse whinnied.

Back with everyone else, Sakura gasped. "Wh-why are you attacking my sister?!"

Fuga crossed his arms. "Do you know how many people come to our lovely tribe, only for us to find that they only wish to go to Izumo? What is so undesirable about our tribe? A little sand in your shoes builds character! And it's fun to get taken from one building to another in gusts of wind!" Fuga glared. "We even have a ball pit!"

The chieftain gestured toward his left, and everyone looked. There was a shin-high wooden tub full of colorful, plastic balls. A very young man in blue clothing was frowning. "I think someone peed in here."

Back to Fuga. "But _noooo!_ All we ever hear is 'oh it's close to Izumo', 'are we at Izumo yet' and 'this place is small next to Izumo'. Well no more!" Fuga brought out an axe. "If anyone wishes to get to Izumo, they must get past me. And see the lovely Wind Tribe along the way!"

"That's crazy!" Hana cried. Fuga raised his eyebrow.

"And now you insult my thought process on my own land!"

Silas cringed. "But… but we-"

"Enough is enough," Fuga stated. "I will wait for you in front of my house. We will do battle, if you can make it all the way."

Fuga jumped up and got blown back toward his house, riding a gust of wind. Hana scoffed.

"Showoff…"

"SISTER!" Sakura ran over to Hinoka, and Subaki followed her. Hana quickly did the same thing.

"Sister?" Hinoka asked.

"Sister? I have a sister?" Setsuna turned to Azama. He frowned in irritation.

"No. Lady Hinoka refers to her sister."

"Aww… It's nice to know Lady Hinoka thinks of me as a sister…"

Azama grimaced. "Are you really that dense? That's not what I said at all."

"Don't worry, Azama. I'm sure you're like a brother to her…"

Hana and Subaki quickly made short work of the enemy soldiers, while Sakura tended to Hinoka's light wounds. Kaze and Felicia helped Setsuna out of the quicksand in the meanwhile, as Corrin finally made it over.

"Sister, it's good to see you again!"

"Ah, so Kamui's here too. And Azura. And Kamui's pet."

Lilith pouted. "I am not a pet! Ooh, a squirrel!" Lilith floated away, distracted by the woodland critter.

Hinoka cleared her throat. "So Kamui, I guess you haven't met them yet. But these are my retainers. Azama is the monk, Setsuna is the archer."

"So you all have two retainers each?" asked Corrin.

"Except me. Because nobody cares about me," Azura plainly stated. Hinoka frowned.

"That's not true! We all love you! Except Takumi. But… he doesn't even love himself, so it's not personal."

Azura raised her eyebrow. "When is my birthday?"

"… July?"

"Ooh, that's my birthday!" Corrin chirped. Azura nodded.

"Yep. I'm just off-brand Kamui to these people."

"I-I still care about you, Azura!" Sakura cried. "I'm sorry i-if I haven't said it enough!"

Azura warmly put her hand on Sakura's shoulder. "It's okay, Sakura. If at least one of you cares about me, that's already more than I can say for back home."

"But I… I don't hate…" Hinoka shook her head. "Ugh! There's no time for that! Look, Ryoma and Takumi are missing, we gotta go find them!"

"Because you care more about them than me?" asked Azura. "I see how it is."

"Can you not?!" the Sky Knight pleaded.

"Unfortunately," Silas began, "there's a crazy bald guy blocking the path. We'll have to defeat him before we can get through."

The eldest princess glared and pointed her naginata at Silas. "Back off, Nohrian! I don't take orders from you!"

"No, it's okay, Sister! Silas is my friend!" Corrin held her arms out. "He's cool!"

"Hmm… I don't know, Kamui. First your maid and butler, now this guy?"

"King Garon's crazy, I don't wanna work for him anymore!" Silas declared, waving his arms. "We didn't even know he was sending us to attack a bunch of sick guys! I called it off! It's cool!"

"Hmm…" Hinoka put her weapon aside. "Fine. Prove it to me then, prove that Nohrians aren't all savages."

**_#NotAllNohrians_ **

"Thanks for saving me…" Setsuna told Felicia. The maid raised her eyebrow.

"Huh. You sound exactly like me, only more bored."

"Oh that's nothing," Azama dismissed. "Some people say they hear Lord Ryoma's voice when I speak! Fascinating, isn't it?"

* * *

The troop efficiently fought its way through the Wind Tribe village.

"For Hoshido!"

"You're just a stain!"

"You're not ready for this!"

"Watch and learn!"

"I'm bored now!"

"I'll make this quick!"

"I'll make this quick."

"Kaze, don't steal my battle cry, that's rude!" Silas complained.

"Don't tell my brother what to do, Nohrian!" Saizo ordered. The cavalier grimaced.

"Whoa, where'd you come from?!"

The ninja narrowed his remaining eye. "A ninja would not reveal his secrets. Now get back to fighting!"

"Aha!" A shrine maiden jumped out. "You'll have to get through me if you wish to challenge Chief Fuga! I can heal him over and over again, you'll never leave!"

Everyone cringed.

"Aww. This is awkward." Silas rubbed the back of his neck. "Guys, should we just ignore her or something? Move on to the chief?"

Hana shuddered. "She can't fight back at all. It'd be like fighting Lady Sakura."

Subaki hummed in amusement. "To imply Lady Sakura cannot be tough when she needs to be. I see your true colors, Hana."

"That's not what I meant!"

"I-I'd rather we pretend we were hitting Azama…" Sakura admitted. "He's… he's mean."

"Sakura, he's your sister's retainer!" Corrin scolded. "Besides, we're on an important mission, I'm sure he's focused on the task at hand."

Meanwhile, Azama was talking to Kaze. He leaned in to the ninja's ear and whispered. " _Don't tell anyone, but I'm the one who peed in the ball pit._ "

"… Why."

The monk nodded. "That kid knows what he did!"

Back with the maiden, Orochi stepped forth. "Don't worry! I'll distract her!" The diviner waved a fan and a silhouette of a rabbit came out, running in circles around the maiden. "Ooh! Look, a rabbit? Don't you want to play with him? Go follow the rabbit! Go follow the rabbit!" The maiden narrowed her eyes, as Orochi's expression fell. "You're… you're not buying it, are you? Heh…"

"For crying out loud, I will handle this myself." Jakob threw a knife and knocked the festal out of the maiden's hand. "All clean. Let us move on."

* * *

Fuga stood proudly before the heroes, in front of his house. "Now you face me! Come and enjoy the sights of the Wind Tribe!"

The man slammed a mace down on the ground and created a whirlwind. The harsh winds blew most of the opposition away. Corrin quickly transformed and dug her dragon feet into the ground, while the weight of Silas and his horse and armor kept him steady. Hinoka's Pegasus had trouble moving toward Fuga, but managed.

"This blows!" Hinoka grunted. She then turned to Corrin. "No pun intended."

Silas smirked. "I've got this, guys!" He readied a javelin and tossed it, but the winds blew it right back at Silas. "Oh gods!" Silas ducked his head in time.

"Ow…" Setsuna droned, from wherever she was blown to. "Something hit me."

Corrin took a deep breath and then sprayed a torrential whirlpool of water from her mouth, hitting Fuga dead-on and stopping the winds. Unfortunately for Hinoka, her Pegasus was still flying fiercely, and flew too far past Fuga and his house.

"Aw dang it!"

The master of arms grunted as he slowly stood up. "I'm… not done… yet. I have… two more weapons!" Fuga pulled out a lance, which Silas took.

"Yoink! Needed a new one. Aaaand-" Silas whacked him with the butt of the lance, knocking him unconscious. He smiled and gave the dragon girl a thumbs-up. "All taken care of, pal!"

" **Good work, Silas!** " Corrin turned to Hinoka. " **See Hinoka? We're all friends here.** "

The princess transformed back into her human form, while the others finally caught up to her and Silas.

"Milady, forgive me. I was most useless in the battle with that jock," Jakob pleaded, kneeling down.

"It's fine, Jakob."

Setsuna limped up to everyone, her foot bleeding profusely. "So… We won, right?"

Kaze looked over. "Setsuna, your foot is horribly injured."

"Yeah. That's from the knight's javelin. It hurts a lot…"

The ninja looked around awkwardly. "So why don't you ask someone to heal it?"

"… Oh yeah. We have people that can do that… Good idea."

Kaze sighed.

* * *

Everyone was finally making their way out of the Wind Tribe and on the path to Izumo, when a voice called from behind.

"Wait, strong travelers!" Corrin and the others turned back and caught sight of Fuga. With him was the boy from the ball pit. "That was a most interesting fight. As a gesture of good will, take my son with you."

Felicia smiled. "Aww, he's so cute!"

The boy pouted, like a child. "Be quiet! I'm a grown man!"

Fuga nodded. "Hayato came of age just yesterday."

Corrin chuckled. "He reminds me of Elise."

Sakura frowned at the statement, but went ignored.

Hana crossed her arms. "Call me skeptical, but you really think we're going to babysit your son?"

"I am a grown-up!" Hayato protested, but went ignored, like Sakura.

"Okay, I admit. I'm inviting some lady friends over, and Hayato would ruin the mood." Fuga cleared his throat. "Also he can tell people to visit the Wind Tribe wherever you go."

Subaki raised his eyebrow. "And how does this benefit us in any way?"

Fuga shrugged. "I'unno. He can use magic."

"Just like Orochi," Kaze summarized. "Except maybe he'll not run off to share something funny he'd heard."

Setsuna gasped. "Kaze? You're still alive? I thought you died…"

The apparently alive ninja frowned. "I wasn't even attacked during that battle. Why do people think I died _this_ time?"

"We will accept your son, Chief Fuga." Corrin said, with a bow. It was improper, however, as she maintained eye contact with Fuga. The chief narrowed his eyes at the disrespect. "I would've liked to see the world myself, at his age."

"I'm not that young! Mostly…"

Corrin ignored him. "It is the least we can do, if he can indeed fight."

"I can! Because I am an adult!"

With Hayato entering the fold, the team left the Wind Tribe on a high note. Izumo, Ryoma and Takumi awaited. And they all agreed… never to come back to the Wind Tribe.

**To be continued.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit of a tough one to write. It was mostly carried by character interactions. But I don't think that's a bad thing every once in a while.
> 
> So in this continuity, there is no Flame Tribe and Rinkah is just delusional. Honestly I don't see a lot in the game to contradict this. Also I thought it would be funny if Iago plain forgot to manipulate Corrin's army. But that would mean no Wind Tribe members had gotten killed, meaning Fuga needed a new reason to fight them.
> 
> The Wind Tribe is essentially Hoshido's own DashCon. I'm sure somewhere some villagers were meeting up to talk about how they can't deal with hate from anonymous people. Also ever since reading that book where each unit had two four-panel strips, I headcanon that Fuga is a bit of a Casanova.
> 
> Also there's something introduced in this chapter- not all the units will be out at once. I like a good challenge, but I absolutely cannot write for the ever-increasing amount of units. It's not as bad in the Conquest route (at first), but Birthright is too generous with characters at first. So some units will appear in every chapter: Corrin, Azura, Felicia, Jakob, Silas, Kaze, Sakura, and Hinoka. And some others who aren't introduced yet. The other characters will kind of rotate around. When they're not with us, they're in Lilith's Astral Realm (MyCastle).
> 
> With that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	4. Weekend at Izana's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin and her family visits Izana, in the land of Izumo. And people act kind of weird the whole time.

At long last, everyone had made it to Izumo. As explained by Azura, it was a neutral territory known for its serenity and how its ruling family descended from gods.

"Who goes there?!" shouted an Izumite guard.

"Ho! We're travelers from Hoshido!" Corrin answered.

"What did you just call me?!" the guard asked, flustered. Corrin sighed and turned to Hinoka.

"Did… Did I mess up the language barrier again?"

"No. Our languages aren't even that different, that guy's just being weird."

"Oh you're Hoshidans," the guard said. "Didn't see you there! Okay, you can come in!"

Corrin smiled.

"Well that was nice of him."

Azura nodded. "Yes, Hoshido and Izumo are on pleasant terms."

Hinoka decided to speak. "Hey, have you seen Lord Ryoma and Takumi? Er, Lord Takumi?" She turned to Corrin. "Sometimes I forget to see you, Takumi and Sakura as lord and ladies. I'm used to you just being kids…"

"Ah."

"Nope, haven't seen 'em."

Sakura stuttered as she asked the guard another question. "W-w-well d-did anyone else see them?"

"I'unno." the guard grunted. "What am I, their mom?"

" _Too soon!_ " Corrin, Azura and Hinoka yelled at once.

* * *

In the entrance hall, the royal sisters were standing around in wait. They were joined by Kaze, Silas, Jakob, Felicia and Lilith.

"So… do we just wait a few minutes or what?" asked Corrin.

"Th-they say Archduke Izana likes to… build suspense," Sakura explained. "Whatever that means…"

Silas looked over his shoulder and caught a frail-looking girl standing in the corner. She was wearing simple clothes.

"Well hi there! Who might you be?"

The girl gasped and looked away. "I… I reckon that's not your business!"

"Oh. Sorry then."

"You Nohrians and yer buff zombies, destroyin' villages… Mother died because of you!"

_Mama, you gotta get outta there!_

_Now Mozume, who's gonna water these here crops while I go fleein' for my life? I don't trust these muscular zombies to do it._

_But Mama-_

_Don't you backtalk me, girl! Now run along while I- AAAAAAAH!_

_MAMAAAAAA!_

"I'm… sorry to hear that," Silas said. "Hey, we wanna take down King Garon too! Wanna join us?"

"I-I dunno…"

"Isn't that my call to make, Silas?" Corrin asked. Hinoka put her hand on Corrin's shoulder.

"Actually, it's _my_ call to make. Since I'm the next-oldest after Ryoma."

Silas made puppy eyes to Corrin, who stepped out of the way so he could direct them at Hinoka. The Sky Knight rolled her eyes.

"All right, you can ask her to join us."

"But what if she can't fight, Lady Hinoka?" Felicia asked.

Mozume perked up. "Uh, I can use a naginata, I s'pose. Would that do?"

The return of Silas' puppy eyes, directed at Hinoka. The princess sighed. "If she thinks she can handle it, she can come with us."

"Yay! I'll take good care of her, Lady Hinoka!" Silas cheered. "I'll feed her, I'll take her on walks, I'll clean up after her-"

"I-I'm not a pet!"

Jakob scoffed. "Besides. We wouldn't want Lilith to get jealous." The little dragon looked indignant.

"Jakob! I'm not a pet eith- Ooh a curtain! I'm gonna go claw at it!"

Silas bent down to get closer to the farm girl's eye level. "What's your name?"

"Uh… I'm Mozume."

"How's about I call you Mozu for short?"

"I reckon I don't have a choice."

Silas ran over to Corrin. "Corrin, I made friends with a farmer, now we'll get free horse rides! Yeah!" He held his hand up and Corrin high-fived it. But then Corrin realized something.

"Wait, don't you already ride a horse into battle?"

"Oh… Well you'll still get free horse rides! Then we can have horse races!"

"Nice!"

They high-fived again, as someone cleared their throat. Everyone looked over and saw a sagely-looking man with white hair. His eyes were closed, and he had red marks on his forehead. They gasped, realizing whose presence they were in.

The man paused before speaking. "I leave my meditation… to find the princesses of Hoshido in my foyer… high-fiving and playing with farm children…"

Sakura bowed her head. "W-we're sorry, Arch-"

"…And you're not gonna let me in on this action?!" the man raised his voice and grinned, holding up a hand. "C'mon, someone gimme some skin! Up top! Don't leave me hangin'!"

The tension in the air deflated immediately. Azura cleared her throat. "Um, Archduke Izana?"

"Please, call me Izana! Or as the ladies know me, Funk Master McGee!" No one responded. "No seriously, they do!"

Jakob leaned in to Corrin's ear and whispered. " _Lady Corrin. When I give the signal, run as far from this man as possible. We may have to leave your sisters behind, but it is a sacrifice I'm willing to make._ "

"Peace, Jakob."

Felicia leaned in to Corrin's other ear. " _Why are we whispering?"_

" _Felicia, go away. I'm already whispering to Lady Corrin_."

" _What? There's no rule about that, and she has another ear! Lady Corrin, did you know Jakob is a jerk?_ "

" _I can hear you, Felicia._ "

" _Did you know he also eavesdrops on other people whispering?"_

" _I'm less than one meter away from you, Felicia_."

"Can you guys both stop whispering into my ears?" Corrin asked.

Izana leaned in between Jakob and Corrin and whispered. " _Say, what are we all talkin' about?_ "

"GAAH!" Corrin flinched.

"Well that's not a very effective whisper…" Izana mused. Hinoka cleared her throat.

"Um, Izana? I'm just gonna be upfront. Have you seen Lord Ryoma and Lord Takumi?"

"Nope! But say, did you know I was voted 'Best Hair in Izumo' five years in a row?"

Sakura frowned. "I-I miss my brothers-"

"I was born on the 29th day of December!"

"B-but-"

"My starting class is Onmyoji!"

"Are you just going to drone on your life's story, or will you actually be useful?" Jakob barked. Corrin glared.

"Jakob, we're guests here!"

"And as my guests, I encourage all of you to relax! Why act all serious all the time when we can enjoy life? C'mon let's all kick back and put on some slippers!"

Corrin looked at her feet. "Uh… How about I only do the first part?"

Hinoka stared down at Corrin's feet. "Whoa, you're not wearing any shoes? How long has that been going on?!"

"Can we stop talking about it?!"

Kaze raised his hand. "Teacher, I've heard that there was a skirmish between Nohrian and Hoshidan forces not too long ago. In Izumo. Would you know anything about that?"

"Whaaaat? Of course not! Since I'm the real Izana, I think I would be the first to hear of it!"

Jakob glared. "I don't like how you feel the need to insist you are genuine."

Felicia elbowed him. "Jakob stop being rude!"

"Never!"

Corrin sighed. "Jakob, stop being rude."

"Very well."

Izana concentrated. "You fellas seem kinda torn up. Especially that girl over there!" He pointed to Mozu. "She looks like she just came in from a farm!"

"I did…"

"Anyway, we've got some great healers! What say we get you guys a little R&R, huh?" Izana offered. Jakob pointed a finger.

"Now you see here! I can heal Lady Corrin just as well as any layabouts you have here!"

"And I can also do the healing muchly good also," Felicia blurted out with little regard for grammar.

Azura stared at Jakob. "You know, there's more to our group than just Corrin, Jakob."

Izana looked to be getting antsy. "So are you sold on the vacay or what, c'mon, let's hear it!"

Corrin nodded. "You know, it might be a good idea to take a small breather. We don't want to wear ourselves out."

"Hmm… All right," Hinoka conceded. Izana's perpetual smile widened.

"Great! In fact, I have a special treatment planned!" He eyed Corrin and Sakura. "You two ladies look especially frazzled. How's about we put you in a special room where you can more spa than you can handle?"

"Can I be in the spa?" Silas asked.

"No."

"Am I not cute enough?"

"… Yeah, let's go with that," Izana dismissed.

"Aww… Wait." He turned to Hinoka. "Lady Hinoka, aren't you going to say anything? He suggested you're not cute!"

"I don't wanna be cute."

Izana walked over and put his arms around Corrin and Sakura. "C'mon let's go, my treat!"

"Uhhh!" Every single guest was uncomfortable with this.

* * *

Corrin and Sakura were put in a small room. The albino princess looked around. "Wow. There sure are a lot of sharp things in here."

Izana followed them in and began to chuckle darkly. "All righty my pretties! Time to get executed! Toodles!"

The onmyoji ran out of the room and locked the door. Sakura and Corrin stood in awkward silence for a few seconds.

"… Kamui I don't like this."

"Neither do I."

Suddenly, Hinoka barged in on her Pegasus, knocking down the sliding trap door and nearly hitting Corrin and Sakura.

"Whoa, easy Sister!"

Kaze appeared in a puff of smoke. "We're here to save you, milady. And milady. I assisted milady to find you. … There are a lot of princesses in Hoshido."

"Hinoka, it's horrible! Th-the Archduke went crazy!"

Hinoka shook her head. "That was no Archduke. We overheard a Nohrian sorcerer cackling to himself about shapeshifting into Izana. He and his men are swarming this palace! It's an invasion!"

Corrin and Sakura gasped.

"So… do we fight?" Corrin asked. "I mean, Izumo's supposed to not be involved in our war…"

"We're fighting!" Hinoka ordered. "Let's move out!"

* * *

Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting.

"Why aren't we using our weapons, wouldn't that be more effective?" Mozu asked.

Realizing this, everyone started using their weapons. The scant few guards around the halls fell to the combined forces of Corrin and Hinoka's legion.

"Clear the way!"

"I won't surrender!"

"You are excused!"

"I'm gonna break you!"

"I'll make this quick!"

"I'll make this quick…"

"Kaze, you did it again!" Silas whined. Kaze merely shook his head, before getting hit with a magic spell.

"Ow… Dang it…"

Sakura gasped. "Kaze, no! Don't die!"

"Getting… real tired… of this…"

The mage standing down the hall was snickering to himself. "Hwee-hee-hee-hee! Now to kill the little girl!"

"Ya forgot about this little girl!" Mozu hit the butt of her naginata into the wizard's head, from behind.

"Ouch! Why you little-" As the wizard was distracted, Lilith flew over and sprayed him with Astral Breath. "OHHHHHHHH! OH GODS! WHYYYYYYYY?!"

Outside, in the bushes, two other Hoshidan soldiers were watching everything unfold.

"Whew! Looks like a crazy party in there!" commented the male soldier. He had similar equipment to Hana the samurai, and wore his hair in a brown ponytail.

"Remind me not to go to any of your parties," the female soldier commented. She held a naginata and wore her dark blue hair in a very long ponytail.

The samurai grimaced. "Man, it'd sure be cool if we knew why the Nohrians were invading Izumo of all places. We probably should've asked the ones I captured."

"I was going to do that. But then you ran off to play in the open field we passed."

"B-but Oboro! It was an open field! You don't understand! I love them!"

Oboro sighed, not wanting to go down this road with her partner for ostensibly the latest in a series of occasions. "Gods. Why couldn't _you_ have been the one to disappear instead of Lord Takumi? Then he and I could be relaxing in the hot springs together while you're missing!"

The samurai raised his eyebrow. "Wait, does that mean we get to go to the hot springs before we find Lord Takumi? Think he'd get upset?"

"Ugh…" Oboro's face suddenly became warped into a horrible scowl. "If any of those Nohrian devils touched a hair on Lord Takumi's head, they will pay with their lives!"

"Eh, they could probably touch his hair, just as long as they don't hurt him!"

Oboro sighed, losing the expression. "… Quiet time, Hinata."

"Okay."

"Um, can we help you guys?" Felicia asked. Oboro and Hinata both screamed as they caught sight of the maid right next to them.

Oboro quickly recovered from the shock and held her naginata to Felicia's throat. "Tell me, Nohrian! Where is Lord Takumi?!"

Felicia casually took a step back from the weapon. "We don't know, we're trying to find him. But then some Nohrian bad guys captured us and pretended to be Arch-whatever Azama!"

"Azama's the Archduke of Izumo? Whoa-ho! Way to keep a guy outta the loop!" Hinata commented. Oboro turned to him.

"No, she just bungled Izana's name!"

Corrin walked up to Felicia. "Felicia, what's taking you so-" She then noticed the two soldiers hiding in the bush. "… Are you guys lost?"

"We're looking for Lord Takumi!" Hinata chirped. Corrin gasped.

"Ohh! You guys must be his retainers!"

"H-he's told you about us?" Oboro asked. "What did he say about me?"

Corrin shook her head. "Well really I just guessed... But there's two of you, and I haven't met Takumi's retainers yet, so I just kind of figured…"

"Well… I guess you figured correctly! I'm Oboro and he's Hinata. Going from what Lord Takumi told us, you're Lady Kamui." Oboro squinted. "Is… that really your preferred outfit?"

Corrin tilted her head. "What?"

"It's just kind of weird. The weird towel-thing hanging from your side, the gauntlets are a little ridiculous, no shoes, the fact that your thighs have no armor at all…" Oboro verbally dissected Corrin's wardrobe.

"… Okay if you guys want to help us find Takumi, you can come, but I don't appreciate you analyzing every detail about my armor!"

* * *

Before long, everyone had barged into Izana's room and found him all tied up, with a sorcerer cackling to himself, just as Hinoka described.

"Nwee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee! You're too late!" He paused. "Wait, no, you're too early! You guys weren't meant to see me yet!"

Hinoka pointed her naginata. "Your game is over… uh… Who are you?"

The mage scoffed and folded his arms. "If you must know, I am Zola! And for your information, my game hasn't even started yet! You came in way too early!"

"What are you t-talking about?" Sakura asked.

"Never you mind! Take this! FIMBULVETR!" Zola swung his arm and a cloud of fog appeared around Sakura, before cooling rapidly.

"Aaah!"

Corrin glared. "You monster, attacking Sakura like that!"

"Actually it's just uncomfortably cold for a few seconds!" Sakura explained.

Corrin glared. "You monster, making Sakura a little uncomfortable like that!"

"I'll do it again, too!" Zola bragged. "Because I am Zola! I am a powerful mage! I came here to conquer Izumo for King Garon! I can see any move you dare to make!"

"Even me?" Saizo asked, appearing behind Zola. The mage gulped and turned around slowly.

"Well… You certainly look tough." Saizo said nothing as he whipped out his shuriken like a knife, and slashed Zola's spell book. "Phooey."

* * *

In a matter of minutes, Zola was tied up by rope in the hallway, with Hinata dusting his hands nearby. "I tied him up!"

Jakob glared. "Yes, we were all there."

"Brother, where were you this whole time?" Kaze asked Saizo. The scarred ninja shrugged.

"I don't like to be where everyone can see me. That's why I'm a ninja. Like you should be."

"Oh here we go…" Kaze rolled his eyes.

Corrin walked out into the hall and sized up Zola. Oboro was nearby and tilted her head.

"Are you wearing pants under your armor now? Is that because of me?"

Corrin ignored the comment and spoke only to Zola. "So you're the mastermind, huh? You'd better start talking! Where are our brothers?!"

"I'm not telling you zippity-squat! Neener-neener-neener!"

The princess narrowed her eyes. "Do you think you can say that again, but with a dragon's mouth mere inches from your face? Because I'll arrange it."

Zola raised his eyebrow. "… You what, mate?"

"There you are, Zola," spat a familiar voice. Corrin, Jakob, the ninja brothers, and Takumi's retainers all found Prince Leo at the end of the hall.

"Leo?!"

The boy leveled a glare at Corrin. "My apologies, this is only a magic-based projection."

Hinata scratched his head. "Wait, so you can just, like, spy on us whenever you want? Dude, privacy!"

"All of you shut up, I don't care about any of you. What I do care about, is executing Zola remotely." The image of Leo turned his gaze to the slimy man. "You're a dishonorable worm, Zola."

"I know you are but what am I?!"

"… Did… Did you really pull that on me?" Leo asked. "Now I might actually enjoy this."

As Leo prepared a spell, Corrin cried out. "Stop, Leo! Would you really harm a fellow Nohrian?"

"Uh, yeah. He's committed several war crimes, Corrin." He blushed. "A-and I don't have to justify myself to you!" He closed his eyes and chanted to himself. "She's not your sister anymore, she's not your sister anymore, hate her, hate her, hate her darn you!"

Corrin frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fi- I mean you shouldn't be concerned about me! Whatever, this execution is ruined! Have fun with Zola. If you can."

With that, Leo's projection vanished. Corrin hung her head. "Leo seems like he has trouble adjusting…"

Jakob nodded. "Indeed."

"And his attitude… He wasn't this cold and cruel before. He used to be nice!"

Jakob turned his head. "Lady Corrin, he was exactly the same as normal."

"… Oh yeah."

* * *

"WOO! Izana in the house! Thanks a million for saving me, guys! Let's par-tay!"

Jakob put his gauntlet to his chin. "So it would appear that Izana was truly as bombastic as Zola made him out to be."

"Well I coulda told ya that," Mozu said. Jakob raised his eyebrow.

"How _did_ you end up here, anyway?"

"Well-"

"In any case, I'm just glad we were able to save you," Azura said. "It must be horrible to have a sorcerer running around, doing unspeakable deeds with your face."

Sakura nodded. "O-oh yes. Zola tried to k-keep me and Kamui locked up in a room with lim-limited air…"

"Wow, what a psychopath!" Izana cheered.

The hostage Zola squinted. "Say, I never did that! In fact, I never even got around to shape-shifting yet! You guys walked in on me before-"

Izana pressed a nerve on Zola's shoulder, knocking the man out cold. "Whoopsy, time for a nap! Hahaha, oh the things a crazed criminal will say to prove himself innocent! Heh… heh.." Izana began to sweat a little, but nobody seemed the wiser.

"Well… okay…" Corrin cleared her throat. "Anyway, I guess we keep looking for Ryoma and Takumi."

"Hmm. Now that you mention it, I think I've heard of a battle involving those people. It went all the way to the Bottomless Canyon," Izana lied, having previously declared to have not known anything. "I sure hope they didn't fall in by mistake!"

Hinoka waved her arm. "I doubt they'd just accidentally fall into a canyon… Probably."

"Everyone, I have an announcement!" Izana shouted. He had the room's full attention, thus cleared his throat. "In the white light, a hand reaches through. A double-edged blade cuts your heart in two. Waking dreams fade away, embrace the brand new day. Sing with me a song-"

Azura slapped the Onmyoji across the face. "That's under copyright. By me."

"Ouch! … That was meant to be Princess Corrin's fortune. But I have no idea what it means! So how's about I just tag along and we find out?"

Silas perked up. "Ooh, ooh, can we Lady Hinoka? Please? Pleeeease?"

"That's what you said about Mozu. I don't want you getting bored and forgetting about her, just because Izana would be with us."

"You don't have to worry, Lady Hinoka, I'll be a good host!"

Izana opened his eyes for once. "Whoa there, partner! _I'm_ the host with the most around here!" Then his demeanor returned to normal. "But yeah, pretty please?"

Hinoka sighed. "Oh all right. But you're in charge of feeding him, Silas."

"Yes!"

Azura smirked and pat Corrin on the shoulder. "So what'd you think of Izumo, Corrin?"

The princess stopped for a moment. "… Not the worst place we've been, so far."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like this chapter. You ever hear a joke that's so stupid that you really have no choice but to laugh? That's how I feel about a lot of the humor in this chapter. Well I hope you laughed, at least. Humor is the genre I've written the most, for the last 10 or so years I've been writing fan parodies. And as my willingness to take the source material seriously has grown, sometimes I have to remind myself that something doesn't need to be smart, as long as it's funny. But if it can be both, so much the better.
> 
> So you ever notice how Hinoka doesn't have much of a story presence in Birthright? I decided to fix that in this story. Now, she's pretty much the leader of the army (until Ryoma comes back). I figured it made sense. Why would Corrin randomly be in charge? Of course Corrin's still the main character, but Hinoka is calling the shots. In endings where where she's playable, it says she goes on to become Hoshido's general, so she's probably not a shabby leader.
> 
> New characters this chapter: Hinata, Oboro, Mozu and Izana. Takumi's retainers are mostly themselves, though I gave Hinata a fixation with playing in open fields. According to his roster notes, that's his superlative- he loves open fields the most. Then there was Oboro's joke about Corrin's outfit. As much as I like Corrin, their armor is weird, especially F!Corrin's thigh windows. At the end of the chapter, Corrin felt self-conscious enough to more resemble her Smash Bros. incarnation.
> 
> I was going to feature Mozu's paralogue, but honestly I couldn't think of anything. It would have been a whole chapter between this one and the last one. But instead, Mozu just joins here. She will not be joining in the Conquest fic, but her role will be filled by Anna (who will likewise not join in this fic). Not to say they can't appear, but who knows. And lastly, we get Izana. Like I said when Flora joined in the Conquest fic, the MyCastle characters join as soon as their plot role is over. We don't see Izana again, so he joins. And he actually will be joining in both fics.
> 
> I like this chapter, and I also like the counterpart Conquest chapter, so I hope you enjoy them both.


	5. Don't Ask a Ninja

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (First of all, apologies for the late posting.)
> 
> In this chapter, Corrin and her friends try to pass through Mokushu, but Saizo has an important errand that gets in the way.

"So who wants their fortune read todaaaaaay?" Izana asked, only to be met with a collective groan.

Ever since joining their army, Izana had managed to get on everyone's nerves.

"Y-you know, I could read fortunes too!" Hayato was defensive. "In case anyone was interested!"

"Is that a no? Aw you guys need to lighten up!" Izana took survey of his surroundings, but nothing came to mind. "Say, where are we anyway?"

"We're in Mokushu! For the fifteenth time!" Saizo shouted. "Pay attention!"

Corrin let out a breath she had been holding in. _Phew. Thanks for asking before I could, Izana._

"This is our fifteenth trip to Mokushu? What does this place have that Izumo doesn't, that makes you want to come back so often?"

"Or the Wind Tribe for that matter!" Hayato added. "Eh? Eh?"

"AAAAARGH!" Saizo was very close to attacking the onmyoji, had Kaze not been there to hold him back. Hayato was not even on his radar.

"Calm yourself, Saizo! He's not worth it!"

Silas raised his hand. "So, uh, anything we gotta worry about in Mokushu?"

Saizo growled, putting aside his rage against Izana. "Anything to worry about? Just a low-down no-good filthy-"

"A buncha ninja live here," Mozu explained. Silas smiled.

"Oh, neat!"

Felicia was trying to hold onto a tied-up Zola, though the mage kept trying to escape. "Noooo! You'll never take me alive, traitorous maid!"

"Jakoooob! Zola's being difficult!"

The butler was reading a map in disinterest. "And what would you like me to do about it?"

"Make him stop!"

Jakob did not even look up from the map. "Zola, stop being a bother."

"Never!"

"Well I tried."

"Jakob!"

Hinoka was watching the scene unfold and turned to Corrin. "Kamui, do we really need to bring him along?"

Corrin shrugged. "I mean, why not? It'd be good to keep an eye on him."

"We should just get rid of him now!" Hinoka declared. "He's only going to cause trouble!"

"B-but Hinoka, what if he changes his mind?" asked Sakura. "Maybe he could eventually t-turn good."

Silas overheard this and shook his head. "I don't think it's a good idea. It wouldn't be prudent to befriend fallen Nohrian commanders and allow them to travel with us."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Silas, a fallen Nohrian commander whom was befriended and allowed to travel with them.

"… What?"

"… Well anyway what's the harm? It's not like he can do anything all tied up," Corrin reasoned, shrugging. "And to be honest, I really don't think he's capable of doing much even if he's not tied up. He's kind of a weakling."

"That's enough truth out of you, missy!" Zola scolded.

Hinoka looked at Zola again, squinting. "Eh, you're right. He kinda reminds me of that Hayato kid, now that I think of it."

"HEY!" Zola and Hayato screamed at once.

Azura walked up to the group from a place up ahead. "All right everyone, the path is clear."

"BWAHAHAHA!"

Azura rolled her eyes. "… Oh yeah, we're in ninja territory. I guess I _wouldn't_ be able to see them…"

"That voice…" Saizo muttered, narrowing his remaining eye.

Kaze raised his brow. "Brother, I'm beginning to worry about you. You're angry all the time, but lately you seem even worse."

Izana slid up to Saizo, wiggling his fingers. "Perhaps he just needs a massage?"

A Master Ninja in brown garb appeared in a puff of smoke. He had a dirty blonde goatee and ponytail. "ROOOOAR! I am Kotaro, King of the Koopas!"

Corrin looked to Azura to explain, and the songstress merely shrugged.

"Did you come to get the princess back?!"

Corrin looked to Hinoka to explain, and the older princess also shrugged.

Corrin had had enough. "Okay what's _your_ deal? What princess are you talking about? All the princesses of Hoshido are right here."

"Bwahahaha! You're in Mokushu now, my personal kingdom! Behold!" Kotaro gestured as everyone took in the view. It was a forest with ditches all around, and these ditches had bamboo spikes sticking out of them.

Silas was the first to comment. "Uh… interesting gardening you have here…"

"It's amateur." Mozu did not hold back.

"Once Garon takes over everything, Mokushu gets Hoshido afterward! Bwahahaha!" Kotaro hopped into a giant, white bowl with an angry face drawn on. A few ninja came out and carried the bowl away.

Everyone stared in confusion for a while.

"… Well that was weird," Azura commented. "So anyway the Bottomless Canyon should be-"

"REVENGE!" Saizo screamed. He ran in the direction Kotaro went, with Kaze following.

"Saizo stop! You can't keep attacking random people!"

As everyone ran into the forest after Saizo and Kaze, a few pitfalls and winding paths managed to separate everyone from each other. Corrin, Azura and Mozu found themselves in a clearing, blocked by a team of lancers.

"Aw shucks…"

Hinoka, Felicia, Sakura and Silas all ran into a grove, and an arrow nearly hit Hinoka.

"Watch it!"

While Jakob, Izana, Zola and Lilith fell into a pit.

"Blast!"

And Hayato managed to get separated from everyone else.

"… Hello? Anyone?"

* * *

"Foolish Hoshidans! You will bow before the glory of Daimyo Kotaro!" declared one of the lancers. Mozu scratched her head.

"Oh yeah, well… uh… your… your face reminds me of a goat!" She turned to Azura. "Was that a good'un?"

"No."

"Let's get ready, guys!" Corrin called. Mozu and Azura both looked away awkwardly.

"I-I'm just a farmer still, Ms. Corrin."

"I'm a singer, not a fighter."

Corrin stood still for a moment. "… Is this what Hinoka has to put up with?"

" **Rrrrrr…** "

A green, glowing dart whizzed through the air, striking one of the lancers. The guards looked over, just in time to get hit with arrows themselves.

Corrin gasped. "Who was that? Setsuna?"

Azura shook her head. "As if it would be her. No, judging from those arrows, it would have to be…" From the shade of a few trees came Takumi. But he looked different. He was lightly slouching, breathing heavily, and his eyes were red. "Takumi…"

"Takumi, you're here!" Corrin cheered. "Thank goodness! Uh, we got separated from Hinoka and Sakura, but-"

" **Kill…** " Takumi plainly pointed Fujin Yumi at Corrin. " **KIIIIIIILL!** "

"Uh-oh."

The prince fired, forcing the princess to dodge out of the way. Corrin glared. "Oh that's it!"

" **That's my phrase.** "

"Takumi, I'm _trying_ , okay?! I'm sorry I couldn't be in Hoshido all my life! I didn't plan on getting kidnapped that day!"

Azura walked over and tapped Corrin's shoulder. "Corrin?"

The ex-Nohrian began to stand up. "I get it! It's a little hard to accept someone back into your life after so long. You think it was easy for me to learn that I had a mother again, and four new siblings?! That I was from an entirely different country?!"

"Corrin."

"Maybe you can't trust me to stay, and that I'll leave and hurt you again… But you're my brother, Takumi, I'll never leave you again!" She frowned. "And believe me, sometimes I still cry myself to sleep remembering what happened to Mother! Thinking 'if only I'd never brought that sword'."

Azura sighed.

"But you're just dropping all pretense and trying to kill me now?! Get over yourself!" Corrin shook her head. "You know what? No! Go ahead, shoot me! I dare you! I dare you to shoot your sister!"

Takumi stood there for a moment, and then fired again. Corrin gasped and jumped out of the way.

"You actually did it! You son of a-"

"Corrin, he's brainwashed," Azura blurted out. Corrin looked over to her. "Yeah."

"He… he is?"

"Takumi doesn't have red eyes, Corrin."

Corrin took a closer look. "Oh… I… actually thought he did. I have to resemble my siblings _somehow!_ " She cleared her throat. "So… how do we fix him?"

Mozu nodded eagerly. "Try thumpin' him on the head!"

"No, no," Azura stepped forward. "I'll solve this like I solve all my problems. By singing."

"Well if that don't work, you could try thumpin' him," Mozu offered. "I'll even help!"

Azura cleared her throat and inhaled.

" _Screams break the silence/Waking from the dead of night/Vengeance is boiling/He's returned to kill the light! Then when he's found who he's looking for… Listen in awe and you'll hear him- Bark at the moon!"_

Azura kept singing, which made Takumi feel a little wobbly. Eventually he fell onto his back, moaning.

"Ugh… Where am I?"

"Takumi!" Corrin and Azura both ran over to the prince, with Corrin cradling him.

"Oh you're back to normal, Takumi, we're so glad to see you again!"

"K-Kamui? Azura?"

"Well his eyes still work at least," Azura japed. But then her smile turned genuine. "I'm glad I was able to help you. I'd hate to imagine what could've happened if we didn't find you when we did."

Mozu awkwardly waved her arm. "I-I'll be over here, y'all. If you need me to thump anyone."

Takumi was still taking in his surroundings. "You… saved me from something?"

"Yes. We're in the middle of a… Well Saizo kind of went crazy." Azura paused. "Not in the same way as you… I think. Then we got split up trying to find him and Kaze."

"I see…" Takumi then realized Corrin was still holding him and awkwardly rolled out of her arms. "Aaah!" He stood back up. "And Kamui it's… nice to see you."

"… Thanks, Takumi." _I'll take what I can get._

"Who's that?" Takumi asked, pointing to Mozu. The farmer waved nervously.

"Oh we just kinda found her," Corrin said. "Takumi, are you hurt? Do you have anything to tell us that you think we should know?"

"Uh… I don't remember. Maybe we should finish what we're doing here first though."

Azura nodded. "Good idea."

* * *

"Hello? Guys?" Hayato called, wandering the woods on his own. A ninja crept up behind Hayato, ready to strike, but the boy turned around and screamed. "AAAH!"

"… I can't kill you. You're still just a kid."

"I am _not_ a kid! I am an adult!"

The ninja rolled his eyes and walked away. "In dog years, maybe."

Hayato was alone again. "Hey! You take that back! Get back here! Fight me!"

* * *

Hinoka made short work of the few of the archers whom had tried to ambush her group. As Sakura healed her afterward, the princesses both watched Felicia and Silas reading a map.

"Kind of crazy the amount of Nohrians we have in our army, huh?" asked Hinoka. Sakura seemed a little distracted, though. "Sakura?"

"O-oh. I'm sorry, Hinoka. But yes."

"What is it?"

"Silas… I think he might have brain damage."

"What?"

"Kamui told me what happened at Fort Jinya, how she didn't remember Silas until he mentioned things they used to do together." She winced. "But I worry that… that Kamui was just being polite, and Silas is actually a vagabond of some sort."

"Like Rinkah?"

"S-sort of."

Hinoka rubbed her chin. "Hmm…"

All healed up, Hinoka dismounted her Pegasus and walked over to the Nohrians. "Felicia, Silas. How we doing?"

Silas tried to look serious. "There's a strange pool of lava on the road ahead, so we'd better be careful."

Felicia dabbed the map with a cloth, removing the red spot. "Actually that's where my finger dripped after I got a papercut. Sorry!"

"Oh. Well, still, we should be on the lookout for any lava in the area."

Hinoka smiled. "Sure thing!" She turned around immediately and went back to Sakura.

"Hinoka?"

"It's worse than you thought."

Sakura gasped.

* * *

"And that's when I said, 'now that's a katana!' And everyone laughed," Izana said, laughing himself. "Ah, good times!"

Jakob was scowling. "If you are quite done, I am trying to see a way out of this trap." He sighed. "I just hope Lady Corrin is doing well out there. I'd even settle for Felicia taking care of her at this point."

Izana wiggled his eyebrows. "Ooh, does the butler have a thing for Ms. Corrin? Juicy!"

Jakob scoffed. "Not at all. As it so happens, I am simply good at my job. Lady Corrin, and even that old man, they were the first people to show many any form of kindness. As such, my life is in milady's hands."

The Archduke pouted. "Whaaat? And not even a little infatuation came into the picture?"

"Well… at one time…" Jakob then cleared his throat. "But that was long ago, and Lady Corrin already fancies another."

Lilith's eyes widened. "Ooh! Are you talking about Flora?"

The butler rolled his eyes. "Yes, Lilith. You know, instead of sitting and hearing me getting distracted, you could help us. You could fly out and tell others that we're trapped in this pit!"

"Uh, good idea." Lilith flew off, and Zola looked longingly.

"Wait! Take me with you, magical talking fish!"

Jakob began to grope at the stone walls, hoping to find a foothold of sorts.

"Flora sounds like a girl's name," Izana said.

"That's because it is." As Jakob pressed against a wall, an opening appeared. "Aha! We may be saved! I'll lead the way, you carry our prisoner."

"C'mon Zola, let's go see the Ninja Cave!" Izana cheered, grabbing the rope leash around the tied-up Zola.

"Aw I hate the Ninja Cave!"

* * *

Saizo blitzed through the Mokushujin forest, with Kaze close behind. They ran across open planes, hopped over bottomless pits, and at one point Saizo even ate a mushroom he found. When they did not throw shuriken, the red-and-green ninja brothers settled for jumping on the heads of the enemies, until they finally made their way to the grove where Kotaro hid.

"Bwahaha! This is Kotaro here!"

"KOTARO! REVENGE! HAVE! I WILL! SOON!"

Kaze spoke to his brother, though looked upon the enemy. "Saizo, you're Hoshidan. Speak like it."

Saizo cleared his throat and glared at the man before him. "Kotaro, I am the fifth in a line of Saizos. Do you remember another man with that name?"

"Oh that weakling? Ha, he didn't stand a ghost of a chance! Why, did you hate him too? Too late, no one stops Kotaro!"

Saizo let out a guttural growl, while Kaze gasped. "Wait, _you're_ the one who killed our father?!"

"I KNEW IT!" Saizo called, getting his brother's attention.

"Wait, you didn't tell me?!"

"I told you, Suzukaze! Remember? I said 'I'm gonna go kill the guy who killed Father' and left!"

"Oh…" Kaze looked away. "So you were serious."

"How do you think I lost my eye?! It was one of this dog's henchmen who did that to me!"

Kaze turned back to Kotaro, glaring. "How dare you! That was always Saizo's favorite eye!"

"Uh, hey, let's go back into how your brother never tells you anything! You don't think that's annoying?" Kotaro's eyes darted around nervously. "I've got, like, eight kids. And Kotaro Junior keeps asking me who his mama is! I just had to resort to kidnapping this ninja lady and telling Kotaro Junior that it was her!"

Kaze paused. "… Well I guess we just figured out what Kagero's been up to lately."

"Don't worry about answering anything, Kotaro." Saizo crouched down. "Because I'm about to make eight orphans."

The Master Ninja grinned cockily. "I'd like to see you try!" Then a windy arrow hit him right in the eye. "Aaah! My eye! Now I can't see you try!"

"HE'S DISTRACTED, GET HIM!" Saizo called.

The ninja brothers disappeared, then reappeared behind Kotaro, holding their shurikens out. Cloth from Kotaro's torso ripped off as wounds formed out of nowhere.

"How?!"

Then Saizo walked over and plucked an axe off the ground. A hole opened up in the earth below Kotaro, and he fell into a pit of lava. "CURSE YOU SAIZO BROTHEEEEEEEERS!"

Hinoka flew up to the scene and looked in a mixture of horror and confusion. "So there really was lava after all…"

Saizo let out a breath. "It's done. Saizo the Fourth has been avenged." His eye then scanned the area. "Okay now, who tried to kill-steal?"

From a nearby bush came Takumi, followed by Corrin, Azura, and Mozu.

"Oh, it's only Lord Takumi," Saizo dismissed. "I was worried it'd be Izana."

"Takumi!" Hinoka had her Pegasus land on solid ground, then she dismounted and ran over to Takumi. She held him tightly. "Oh Takumi, I'm so glad you're okay! Sakura, Kamui, Azura and I were worried sick about you!"

"You were?"

The red-headed princess gave her brother an incredulous look. "What?! Of course we were! You're our brother!"

Lilith flew over. "Oh! It's Lady Corrin's little brother! The one that's not Leo! We should tell those two guys with the ponytails, they were especially worried about you!"

Hinoka nodded. "Good idea, I'll go tell them."

With a flash of light, Hinoka went into Lilith's crystal ball to reach the Astral Plane. Takumi was still in shock. "I didn't know you were all looking for me, to be honest."

Corrin lightly punched Takumi on the shoulder. "Duh! We care about you! Why are you so surprised by all this?"

Takumi looked to his feet and blushed, letting out a sigh. "It's… nothing. Sometimes I just… feel kind of forgotten."

"TAKUMI!"

Everyone turned their heads to find Sakura. She ran up to Takumi, stumbled a bit, and made it all the way. When she made it, she wrapped her arms around Takumi, weeping.

"T-Takumi we were so worried about… about you," the princess said in between sobs. "Th-they said you d-disappeared!"

"Oh yeah… It's coming back to me now! Ryoma and I got ambushed near Izumo! And… uh… I think I fell _into_ the canyon."

"What?!" asked Sakura.

Mozu tilted her head. "That doesn't make a lick of sense."

"I dunno! But then next thing I remember, I'm here! No clue what happened to Ryoma. … Did I attack you guys?"

Azura waved her hand a bit. "Kinda, you took a few shots at Co- at Kamui, but she dodged them. You were under some kind of control until I sang for you."

Takumi's skin turned pale white. "Oh… oh gods… I attacked you… Kamui, I know I was cold to you before, but that didn't mean I wanted to k-"

"No, it's okay Takumi, you were under control!" Corrin put her hands on Takumi's shoulders. "It's okay, Little Brother."

"Even then…" Takumi faced Azura. "Azura, I had no reason to treat you so cruelly. Telling you that you couldn't even use my name…"

"To be fair, I never really heeded you when you said that," the singer said. "But thank you, that means a lot to me." Immediately, Azura shook as she felt a dry heave. "Oww…"

"Azura?!" Sakura pulled out a rod. "Where does it hurt?!"

"Oh it's just my song hurting me. Same as usual."

Corrin tilted her head. "You mean you didn't project your voice properly and hurt your throat?"

"… Yeah, let's go with that."

"Um…" Takumi nervously massaged his brow. "Anyway… If you wouldn't mind having me, I'd like to make everything up to you two. Not just the attack, but… y'know."

Corrin laughed and put her arms around Takumi. "Awww! My little brother's becoming more mature!"

"Okay, feel less bad about attacking now!" Takumi shrieked. This earned laughter from Mozu, Azura and Sakura.

Saizo and Kaze joined everyone else, leading Jakob, Izana, Zola, and a new face with them, a female ninja with black hair covering her right eye.

"What are the odds that pit would lead us to the prison caves?" Jakob asked Izana.

"I know, right?"

Corrin gasped at the sight of the ninja woman. "Wait, I know you! You were at Bottomless Canyon!"

"I was. My name is Kagero. Kotaro kidnapped me, but your manservant and his friends ran into me while I was painting."

"Pah! I have no friends," Jakob dismissed.

This went ignored by Kagero. "Archduke Izana explained what was going on, and I'm ready to find Lord Ryoma. I've overheard a few prisoners talking, and he might be in a Nohrian town called Cheve. The same place you were taken from King Sumeragi, if I'm correct."

"Hmm, sounds promising," Corrin said. She turned to Jakob. "Can you find the others and tell them we're leaving?"

"At once, milady."

Then the princess directed her attention to Saizo. "So, got it all out of your system now?"

"Yes." He sighed. "We may have saved Kagero, but our prince is in another castle. Let's get moving."

With that, the troops were ready to leave Mokushu. But not for the first time, they appeared to be forgetting someone.

"GUYS! I'M REALLY LOST!" Hayato screamed, still by himself. "HELLO?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I normally split the characters up in these chapters, but normally that's reminiscent of the gameplay, of sending different units to different areas. This time, it's because everyone got lost and separated. The other main thing of this chapter is that Kotaro thinks he's Bowser. It's all in his head. (So yeah he doesn't have eight kids, not even in this parody.) I saw some jokes on tumblr comparing Kaze and Saizo to the Mario Bros., and how Kotaro always kidnaps Kagero, making them Bowser and Peach, so I ran with it.
> 
> Takumi made a bad first impression for me, but I got over it pretty quickly. But with that said, it felt kind of good to let Corrin rant at him about the way he was treating her, even though she was misunderstanding the situation. Silas has been pretty silly so far, and now it's to the point where Sakura thinks he's brain-damaged. This relates to Sakura and Silas's support conversation. And we get some backstory from Jakob. I don't do Corrin/Jakob, but I at least made it where Jakob did have feelings for her at one time in the past. But now he's strictly professional.
> 
> Hayato is a bit of a joke in this chapter. He originally wasn't going to be rotated in, but I felt the chapter was missing something, and I didn't see myself using him in a later chapter, so I put him in this one. He might show up again, they didn't leave him behind.
> 
> Overall I'm happy with this chapter. And I like the next Birthright chapter even more, so look forward to that.


	6. Cruising for a Bruising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin's forces set sail for Cheve. it looks like smooth sailing, until invisible invaders get all up in their grill.

The Hoshidans had taken to the sea. The ship they were taking was quite large, and Corrin drank her surroundings like a child in a toy store.

"So cool! This ship is huuuuuge! And I've never even sailed before, this'll be fun!"

The demure Sakura found it in herself to smile at her sister's joy. "I-I'm excited too. Mostly for the chance to rest, though."

From the chair she was lounging in, Azura looked up from her book. "Don't get too excited. We're going to Nohr. That place sucks."

Corrin gave the singer a stern look. "Hey I'll have you know that Nohr isn't all bad. Or at least, not when I was there."

"W-weren't you confined to stay in a fortress all the time?" Sakura asked. Corrin winced.

"Well… yeah I guess I was. But I had friends. Felicia and Jakob and I started a book club! We'd read books and talk about them after. And Flora was there sometimes…" Corrin sighed. "I wonder how she's doing… And there was Gunter… before Hans killed him…" Her frown deepened. "And… my family would visit… Elise would come every single day… and… I need to be alone," Corrin blurted out that last part, as she briskly walked away.

Sakura frowned. "K-Kamui misses her other family…"

"What was your first clue?" asked Azura.

Takumi walked up to the remaining women, with Hinata and Oboro gripping his ankles.

"Don't leave us again, Lord Takumi!" Oboro pleaded.

"Yeah man, we don't know what we'd do without you! Even the open fields aren't as fun if you're not there to drag me back!"

"Guys, please!" Takumi sighed, and looked over to Sakura and Azura. "So Hinoka was telling me that there might be some enemies on this ship."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "You mean we're not the only ones onboard?"

"Well there is that one loud guy at the buffet," Takumi said.

The prince pointed over and everyone saw a Hoshidan man in a flame-on-black kimono and with spiky, blonde hair. "I'm Guy Fujito and we're **RIGHT HERE** on this giant cruise ship, headed to Nohr: where they do food, _their_ way!"

"Looks kind of familiar," Takumi mused. "Oh, and that little mage guy Archduke Izana keeps dragging around."

Azura waved him off. "Oh, Zola couldn't hurt a fly… Not for lack of trying, but still."

"I'm right in front of you!" Zola shouted. Everyone looked over and saw that Zola was indeed standing next to all of them. "I've been here for the last ten minutes!"

"Where are your r-ropes?" asked Sakura, shaking.

"Well, I… huh. I don't really know." Zola changed the subject. "But hey, I've been helpful so far!"

By this point, Oboro had stood up, while Hinata still clung to Takumi's foot. The seamstress glared at Zola. "As if! You've just been a classic Nohrian this whole time! Begging and whining and plotting!"

"Aaaack! Enough of that glare, my chest is _tingling_ in fear!" Zola wailed. "Make her stop, Ta- Lord Takumi!"

Takumi narrowed his eyes. "I don't remember giving you permission to call me by name."

"Wh-what do I call you?"

"Ooh, ooh!" Hinata finally stood up. "He should call you Stud McCool instead!"

Takumi was about to rant at Zola, but instead just stared at Hinata. "… What?"

"Just an idea," Hinata said, shrugging.

* * *

Corrin sniffed. "A-and that's the last time I remember playing chess with Leo!" Corrin sobbed, holding onto the railing of the ship.

Hana raised her eyebrow. "Okay? Why are you telling me all this?"

"I don't know! I was here first, and you're just so easy to talk to," Corrin answered. She began taking breaths to calm herself down. "And I know Sakura wouldn't like to hear me reminisce about Nohr…"

"Tch! Well I don't either! You made Lady Sakura upset with your absence!" The samurai glared. "And if it sounds like you're going to leave her to go back to your Nohr family, I'll… I'll _double_ never forgive you! Because I already don't forgive you!"

Corrin's mood shifted entirely. "… Wait, what does that mean? Double never forgive?"

"Sh-shut up, it makes sense! I'm leaving!" Hana stormed off. Like clockwork, Sakura came up to Corrin.

"Kamui?"

"Aah! Sakura! I wasn't being mean to your retainer, I swear!"

"O-oh… that's good, I guess… The captain said we should reach Nohr tomorrow, if winds are f-favorable."

"Oh. Good." Corrin cleared her throat. "Uh, so Hana was telling me you were upset when I was gone."

"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, DON'T JUST TELL HER DIRECTLY!" Hana yelled, from an unknowable vantage point.

Corrin and Sakura looked around awkwardly, but then resumed conversation when they could not find the samurai. "Well I was… b-but it's not your fault! You didn't kidnap yourself! In fact, I blamed myself for it!"

"What?!" Corrin fought away the mental image of a baby Sakura orchestrating Sumeragi's murder and Corrin's subsequent kidnapping, trying not to laugh. "But how could it be your fault? You were… how many years do you have now?"

"Seventeen…"

"You were _age one!_ That couldn't be your fault!"

"There were r-rumors that they meant to kidnap _me!_ They were false, but still…" Sakura's breathing became odd, so Corrin put her hands on her shoulders.

"Don't worry, Sakura. We might be going to Nohr, but I'm not leaving you again. We'll find Ryoma, and we'll be a big happy family."

The shrine maiden smiled. "Thank you, Kamui… Oh, you get upset when we call you that, don't you?"

"Heh. That's the name I was born with and the name I was meant to have. Call me whatever you like."

The sisters shared an embrace.

* * *

Azama sat by the edge of the ship, holding a fishing rod and humming to himself. _"Setting south to sail the sea/how exciting it will be. Setting south to sail the sea/how exciting it will be!"_

Kaze was sitting next to him and sighed. "Okay. You've been repeating that same line for this whole trip. There's more to the song than that. Also, we're headed west."

There was a large crashing noise, and Azama fell overboard.

"Azama!"

"Aaaah! Somebody help me! Who do I look like, Setsuna?!"

Kaze stared blankly at the monk flailing in the stormy waters. "Hmm… My conscience won't let me abandon him… but nobody likes him, either… What would Saizo- Saizo would abandon him. What would _Kagero_ do? Hmm…"

* * *

Back with Corrin and Sakura, a purple flame fell from the sky, forcing the sisters to separate before the flame could hit them. "Aaah!"

Corrin drew Yato as soon as she saw the purple flames take on the appearance of a humanoid. "This looks… familiar. You're the spirit that killed Mother!"

The invisible, burning cloak merely shrugged, and pulled katana from nowhere. Azura walked up. "Corrin, Sakura, what's- Oh my! Who's that?"

Hearing Azura's voice, the invader turned around. While they were distracted, Hana returned and took Sakura's arm. "Are you hurt, Sakura?!"

"N-no, I'm fine!"

The spirit ran toward Azura, but was stopped by the sudden appearance of Kagero, blocking with a shuriken of her own. "You're going to regret that!"

"Petulant child…" the phantom murmured, in his familiar gravelly voice. He leapt into the air high above the sip, and held out both arms.

* * *

In the center of the deck, Takumi and his retainers glared at Zola. "This is your doing, isn't it?!" the prince accused.

"No!"

"Lord Stud McCool, you should try sniping that enemy while you can!" Hinata suggested, prompting a groan from Oboro.

"Stop trying to call Lord Takumi that, it's not going to catch on!"

Setsuna walked up to the group. "Hi Hinata, hi Oboro, hi Lord Stud McCool, hi Zola. What's all the commotion?"

Ignoring Takumi and Oboro's groans, Hinata answered. "It's crazy, Setsuna! There was a storm out of nowhere, and some ghost guy is attacking us!"

Several roars were audible all at once. Everyone looked around and caught invisible, flaming wyverns, all surrounding the boat.

Hinata frowned. "And now we're surrounded by ghost dragons!"

"Oh… that sounds neat."

" **RAAAAAAR!** " a wyvern roared, swooping down to try and kill Takumi, his retainers, and Setsuna, but each of them dodged.

"Oh, wow, I actually dodged…" Setsuna remarked. She pulled out her yumi and took aim at the wyvern. "But now you gotta die… Boop." She launched the arrow and struck the wyvern at the point where its left wing connected with the body.

" **AAAAR! RAAAAH!** "

Takumi glared and fired his own arrow. "Die already!" He shot the flailing wyvern, and it plummeted to the deck. The beast dissolved upon contact, as Takumi smirked. "Ha! I win."

"What excellent marksmanship, Lord Stud McCool!" Zola was on his knees, hailing Takumi like an ancient god. "Truly a god among men!"

"Would you cut it out?!"

"He's not wrong…" said Oboro. Hinata nodded.

"And would you guys stop brownnosing?!" He sighed. "This is bad, we're surrounded by enemies." Takumi turned to face Setsuna. "Find Hinoka and tell her what's going on!"

"Oh. Okay…"

* * *

"Get me on the ship, get me on the ship!" Azama cried, still in the water. Kaze cast the line into the water.

"Grab this!"

Azama nodded and grabbed what appeared to be Kaze's favorite pillow attached to the line. With strength the ninja did not even know he had, he managed to reel Azama back onto the ship. "Praise be for your upper body strength, Kaze."

" **URRRRR!** "

The monk and ninja found themselves face to face with more purple, flaming wyverns.

"Noooo! Back in the water, everyone back into the water!" Azama yelled, jumping off the ship again. Kaze sighed, before the wyvern's tail swung by and knocked him overboard.

"Whoa!"

* * *

With Corrin and Felicia protecting Sakura and Azura, Jakob and Hana were fending off burning Pegasi on the other end.

"I say, how is that ruffian able to command so many of these semi-visible beasts?"

"I dunno, but it's crazy!" The samurai gasped and jumped away from a Pegasus's headbutt, before Jakob ran over and slashed the horse with his dagger. It whinnied in pain, before Hana decapitated it once and for all, causing the horse to disintegrate into water. She raised her brow. "Huh. That was weird."

"By the way, Kazahana, I've been meaning to speak with you." He narrowed his eyes. "Do not speak harshly to Lady Corrin, or I'm afraid we're going to have problems."

"Huh? What's this about?"

"Years of listening for Felicia's spills have given me advanced hearing," Jakob explained. "You were very cold to Lady Corrin earlier, and I do not appreciate that."

The samurai glared. "What, you were eavesdropping? That wasn't any of your business!"

"On the contrary…" The butler spun out of the way to avoid an incoming wyvern. He threw a dagger at it, without even looking, allowing Corrin and Felicia to finish it off. "My reason to live is to ensure the wellbeing of Lady Corrin in physical, mental and emotional affairs."

"Well _my_ reason for living is to ensure the wellbeing of Lady Sakura in… stuff too!"

"Hmph. I would believe that if you were not so adorable. And that's not flirtation. Your poor attitude is that of an angry puppy."

"Because I'm a girl, huh?!"

"I just said it was because of your attitude."

"You know, you're a jerk! No wonder you don't have any friends!"

" _Stop it!_ " Corrin and Sakura's voices called in unison. The butler and the samurai both awkwardly looked over.

"Jakob, stop being such a jerk to Hana!" Corrin glared. "We're trying to fight for our lives here, and you're busy picking her apart?!"

Sakura gave her retainer a stern look. "Hana, how could you say something so mean to J-Jakob? We're supposed to be on the same side!"

Jakob and Hana began awkwardly muttering in unison, cowed by their masters. In that moment, the locked eyes, and saw a certain spark.

Both the crude butler and stubborn samurai realized they had found their greatest equal and rival.

"You guuuuuys! I can't do this alone!" Felicia called, snapping everyone out of it. She was fending off another Pegasus. "I mean, I could, but I don't want to!"

* * *

Hinoka flew around in the storm, with Kagero riding on the back of the Pegasus, throwing stars at the monsters they were passing. After a lap around the ship, Hinoka landed her Pegasus beside Silas, whom was fighting off a wyvern of his own.

Kagero readied a shuriken, but was caught by surprise when Mozu ran past her and Hinoka, past Silas, and jammed a naginata right in the wyvern's pectoral.

" **RRRRRR!** "

With the beast distracted, Silas swung the lance he had taken from Fuga, and nailed the wyvern right in the neck, destroying it. The knight wiped sweat from his brow. "Phew! Thanks, Mozu!"

"That was quite impressive," Kagero told her, dismounting from Hinoka's Pegasus.

"Aw, that? Shucks, you guys…" Mozu blushed, but felt elated.

"Hahahahaha! What a magnificent battle! I cannot wait to see your blood mixed in with the ocean water!" a woman's voice echoed.

Hinoka sighed. "Great. Reina's caught up to us."

Silas raised his eyebrow. "Reina? Who's that?"

"Here she comes now, you can find out for yourself," Hinoka answered. Silas, Mozu, Kagero and the princess herself found themselves in the presence of the infamous Reina. She was an older woman with an X-shaped scar on her face and dark blue hair. She rode atop a birdlike beast, with wings and extravagant tail feathers.

"… Hiya!" Silas greeted. An excited glint flashed in Reina's eyes.

"Ah, a Nohrian. Hold still, and your death will be beautiful!"

"Uhhhh, Mozu, wanna help with this one too?!"

"No need, Reina," Hinoka interrupted, "he's a friend. And before you ask, the little red mage with us is to be kept alive as well." She sighed. "Unfortunately."

"Oh. Very well then," Reina directed her attention from Silas and toward the invaders. "Say, is Orochi with you? I haven't heard from her lately."

"She's… somewhere," Hinoka answered. "Hey, I'm getting a little worried about Azama. I haven't seen him, but he said he'd be on deck all night. Can you find him?"

"I will keep an eye out for him, Lady Hinoka."

"Oh Azama?" Setsuna asked, startling everyone with her sudden presence. "He jumped overboard and Kaze tried to save him… I was going to save him, but I wondered if maybe it was a trap, and the real Azama was somewhere else."

Hinoka groaned and looked at her ninja ally. "Kagero, go with Reina to save Azama and Kaze." She turned around. "Setsuna, you're riding with me and we're finishing off the rest of these guys!"

Reina pouted. "Aww. I wanted to kill them!"

"Oh fine, you kill them and I'll go save Azama! Just as long as it gets done! Setsuna, let's go!"

"Okay."

The archer hopped behind Hinoka on her Pegasus and they left, while Kagero joined Reina, and they took off as well. This left Silas and Mozu, until Izana walked up to the two of them, yawning. "Geez, can't a guy get a little shuteye? What's all the hullabaloo?"

"Invisible, flaming wyverns and Pegasi are attacking us!" Silas explained. "And there are so many!"

The archduke looked around, taking in the sights. "Huh. Well, that simply won't do."

Izana waved a scroll and out came a dragon made of energy. He hopped aboard the dragon and held his arms out for balance. "Woohoo! Let's go for a ride, magical energy dragon!"

" _Raaaaar!_ "

Silas sighed and looked down at his horse. "Sometimes I wish you could fly." The horse whinnied. "What, are you saying it wouldn't be convenient?!"

* * *

The cloaked swordsman dropped back down onto the deck, before Takumi. " **Foolish boy.** "

Takumi furrowed his brow. "… Why do you… seem so familiar?"

The enemy attacked, and Takumi tensed up. Oboro jumped in the way and blocked with her weapon. Meanwhile Hinata came up to him from behind.

"Here I come!" The spirit turned around and kicked Hinata away. "Oo-hooh!"

" **Don't announce your presence, idiot! Now- Rgh!** " He was struck with an arrow from Fujin Yumi.

"If you were smart, you wouldn't face me after killing my mother!" Takumi readied another shot, but the phantom blocked it, only to get hit from the side by Oboro.

" **Aah!** "

Then he was hit from behind by a recovered Hinata.

" **Gaaah!** "

And struck in the gut by another of Fujin's arrows.

" **Aaaaaah! That's… enough…** "

The swordmaster dissolved, just as he had before. Takumi wiped the sweat from his brow, as the storm clouds cleared, and all the other enemies dissolved.

"Whoa, that was awesome, Lord Stud McCool!" Hinata praised. "Good job!"

This made the archer smile. "Well, we all did it together. You guys made me proud! Mostly… Hinata, you gotta work on your battle cries."

Oboro barely stifled a laugh, as Hinata groaned. As this happened, the phantom swordsman quietly reformed behind Takumi and raised his sword.

Zola groaned. "This really falls on me, huh?"

Takumi looked over. "What are you- Waah!"

Zola pushed Takumi out of the way, just in time to take the hit from the swordsman, to the shock of Takumi and his retainers.

"Gyaaa!"

" **I missed.** " Displeased, the phantom's sword dissipated, and then the phantom himself disappeared in a flash of light.

Takumi looked down to Zola. "Oh… oh wow! You… saved me!"

"Yeah... no prob…lem…"

Corrin, Sakura, and Azura ran up to the scene, and Corrin gasped. "Zola, you're bleeding!"

"Sword… hurts… ow…"

Corrin looked to Sakura, and the younger one nodded. She held out her festal and waved it over Zola. "Owwww!"

"It's not enough," Sakura whimpered.

"Oh all right, I suppose I'll help." A soaking-wet Azama casually walked up and held another rod over Zola, joining in the healing process. "Kaze drowned, so I suppose we'd do good to avoid _too much_ unnecessary death."

"Kaze drowned?!" Corrin asked.

"Oh, wait, no he didn't. Silly me!" Azama said, followed with a shrug. "When you see so much death, it gets hard to tell."

Zola sat back up. "I'm healed! Praise the Dusk Dragon! Oh, uh, I mean… whichever dragon you guys like! Yeah…"

Corrin put a hand to her chin. "You said it was a sword that did this to you?"

Oboro and Hinata bowed to Corrin, catching her by surprise. Oboro said, "Forgive us, Lady Corrin! We were distracted, and that invisible swordsman nearly killed Lord Takumi! If Zola hadn't interfered, your brother and our master would be injured!"

"Or dead!" Hinata added. "Which reminds me…"

Hinata and Oboro redirected their bow to Takumi and spoke in unison. "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"

"Guys, cool it! I should've been paying attention too, so we're fine!"

Corrin smiled at Zola. "Hey, I'm proud of you! You saved my brother's life!"

"Well I kind of figured someone would heal me after."

"… You could've just taken the praise, Zola," Corrin suggested.

"Oh."

"Sakura," Hana's voice rang, followed by Jakob's bellowing.

"Lady Corrin!"

"Lady Sakura, is that little mage guy giving you trouble?! Just leave him to us!"

"Lady Corrin, we don't trust how close you're standing to Zola."

Sakura raised her eyebrow. "Wh-why are you speaking for each other?"

Jakob sighed. "Well… as it turns out…"

The samurai kicked at the ground. "We… realized we have a lot in common. So now we're rivals. And we're going to work extra hard, and keep both of you double safe! Lady Sakura if I keep you safer than Jakob keeps Lady Kamui safe, I win!"

"Wait… double safe?" asked Hinata. "Is that a thing?"

"Sh-shut up!" Hana's face reddened. As everyone else fell into laughter, Corrin looked off to the horizon.

_It won't be long before I see my old family again…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When it comes to the Birthright chapters, I've had a hard time trying to balance characters, even with the rotating cast. But I actually feel pretty good about this chapter's use of characters.
> 
> Since MyCastle isn't a major feature, I have to find a different way to incorporate some of the support conversations. And honestly I like this, how Hana's C-Support with Corrin leads to the princess having her A-Support with Sakura. Originally I would start referring to Corrin as Kamui in the narration, but it just felt weird. Also Azura was useless in this fight.
> 
> While most of the story is meant to be comical, Kaze and Azama were especially the comic relief in this chapter, they didn't really accomplish anything regarding the invaders. Meanwhile Takumi is babysitting his retainers and Zola. I actually like the four of them together, so I gave them a small scene in the next chapter. Then we have Jakob and Hana. Their argument was actually harsher when I first wrote it, and I started feeling uncomfortable, so I toned it down. But even before, they would have started to see each other as rivals as they do now. I don't know for sure if this will lead to a pairing.
> 
> Silas, Mozu and Izana (and Hinoka) all have diminished roles in this chapter. Partly because I couldn't think of a lot of material for them, and to sort of give them a break. They're all meant to appear in every chapter post-introduction, but I still wanted to avoid overusing them. So this was a compromise. Also we get introduced to Reina. I had a plan for her at first, she was going to break the fourth wall a lot. In addition to her love of bloodshed, I would've made Reina the Fire Emblem version of Deadpool. Which still sounds like fun, but I felt Anna (in the Conquest fic) made a better fourth wall breaker, and I don't like having more than one.
> 
> Also, the return of Guy Fujito. We haven't seen him since the incident with Mikoto dying. Funny enough, the culprit of Mikoto's murder hasn't appeared since then either. Coincidence? Absolutely.
> 
> Just a heads up, there will be no update next week. I took this week off writing so I could work on some other things (to mixed success). So now I need a week off posting so I can get back on schedule with this story. Also I just kind of needed a break.


	7. A Night at the Opera (Storm)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin and the gang stop by Cyrkensia, where Garon is still a monster and Azura is a troll.

As the ship carrying Corrin and her friends began to dock, Silas took Azura off to the side.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

The knight nodded. "Yeah. I don't trust you. You're some mysterious lady, yet we're all expected to believe whatever you say and go along with it? When you barely even open up to us?" He looked over his shoulder to Corrin, whom was talking to someone else. "You have my buddy wrapped around your finger, so be careful."

She stared at Silas, flatly. "Silas, you introduced yourself to us by attacking Fort Jinya, and then Corrin took mercy on you. And I'm the one who can't be trusted?"

Silas stopped for a second. "… Oh yeah, that did happen! I completely forgot about that."

Azura sighed.

With Corrin, she was following Hinoka, whom was leading the team off the boat. "So Hinoka, where are we now?"

"This is Nestra, it's another neutral kingdom. Right now we're in a town called Cyrkensia. The town's known for its tourist attractions." Hinoka turned back to Corrin. "There's even an opera house!"

Felicia's eyes lit up. "Oooh! I wonder if we have time to catch a show! I hope they perform _Maria & Draco!_"

Jakob rolled his eyes. "That show's gone downhill ever since they started including the giant octopus in later adaptations."

"Cyrkensia... that's a lot less fun to say than 'Nestra' is," Corrin observed. "But still, we're almost at Cheve, right?"

Hinoka nodded. "Yeah. We're just stopping here for the night."

* * *

Everyone disembarked and began wandering around town. Hinoka called out to everyone.

"Okay guys, we're not here on a fieldtrip, we're just here to catch a boat and get to Cheve, so don't get distracted."

Izana waved his hand. "Oh please, nothing could ever distrac- Ooh, ice cream!" The archduke ran off. "I'm getting ice cream, and you guys aren't, nyah-nah!"

Kaze watched the man leave, while another guy with brown hair, fox ears, and a fox tail leaned onto him. "Wow, that guy's kinda weird huh?"

The ninja turned his head. "… Who are you?"

"Hiya! I'm Kaden! So what're we up to?"

"We? No, me and my friends are here on important business."

"Oh, cool! I love doing important things!"

"… By ourselves," the ninja added. Kaden did not get the hint.

"Yeah, we don't want to attract too much attention."

Kaze sighed and walked away, but Kaden followed him. "Oh gods, it's like having another Rinkah."

Corrin and Azura watched the whole thing unfold. "Azura, what's with that fox guy?"

"Oh he's a Kitsune. They turn into foxes. And that's about it," the singer explained.

"His fur looks soft…" Sakura mused. "I want to pet him…"

"Petting people is weird," said Corrin. "I had a dream where I was petting you and everyone else, it made the next day awkward."

Near the back of the group, Takumi and his retainers were still keeping watch on Zola. "Takumi, I need to use the restroom!"

"What? You just went on the ship before we docked!" Takumi shouted. "Forget it, no restroom."

The mage groaned, and looked away in frustration. As this happened, Oboro kept taking in the sights. "This place sure is nice, isn't it Lord Takumi?"

"It's all right."

Hinata pouted. "There aren't any open fields for me to play in!"

Oboro shoved her elbow in Hinata's side and resumed speaking to Takumi. "You know, I once heard a saying that all the romantic-types end up in Nestra sooner or later. Or something like that."

"What?" Takumi turned back, with his eyebrow raised. "We're just passing through, Oboro, we're not staying here. Why would you even think that?"

"Th-that's not what I-"

"Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" Zola giggled. "I see what's going on here!" Oboro elbowed him too. "OOH!"

"Shut it, fashion victim!"

"Hey what's Azura up to?" Takumi asked. Oboro, Zola and Hinata looked to find her talking to Hinoka and then running off. The four of them picked up the pace and reached the eldest princess. "Hinoka, what's going on?"

"She asked me how long until we had to leave, I told her we had to leave in the morning, and she just ran off!"

"What?" Hinata put a hand to his chin. "Hmm. I wonder if maybe there's an open field nearby and she went off to be in it." Oboro stared intently at Hinata, in mock wonder. "What is it, Oboro?"

"How do you even dress yourself in the morning with that much stupidity?"

"Actually I just go to bed in my armor."

"Azura ran off?" Corrin questioned. "Shouldn't we go see why?"

"I agree, it's a little suspicious. Don't you think?! HUH?!" Silas began to make everyone uncomfortable.

Mozu was the only one nonplussed by the whole situation. "She sings, so maybe she's at the opera house. I dunno."

Hearing this, the Kitsune named Kaden clapped his hands together. "All right, gang! I guess it's time to hit the opera house!"

Izana appeared from nowhere. "Good plan!"

"I-I'm sorry, who are you?" Takumi asked.

"I'm Kaden! Nice to meet you!"

"Uh… okay…" Takumi noticed Kaze standing nearby with a displeased look on his face. "Kaze, do you kno-"

"Please don't even ask."

* * *

The house was packed. Somehow, the Hoshidans and affiliated friends were able to get front-row seats in the small boats close to the stage. Only three to a boat would fit, and the groups were placed as such, from house right to house left:

Corrin, Zola, and Takumi together.

Rinkah, Kaze, and Kaden together.

Hinata, Oboro, and Silas together.

Jakob, Felicia, and Mozu together.

Hinoka, Sakura, and Izana together.

"Of course I had to be in this boat…" Kaze lamented.

Takumi looked around and gasped. "Uhhh Kamui?"

"What's up?"

" _That._ " The archer merely pointed at a far-off seat, and Corrin looked.

"That? I don't see any- Ohhhh…"

King Garon was seated in a high-up balcony, glaring at the stage. Corrin's heart began to beat faster.

"D-d-do you think he sees us?!"

"I don't think so, but he is much uglier than I'd expected," said Takumi.

Corrin looked again and squinted, followed by another gasp. "Oh gods, Elise is with him."

"Who?"

"Elise," Corrin explained, "she's my adorable Nohrian sister. Kind of like how Sakura is my adorable Hoshidan sister."

* * *

Elise sighed, prompting Garon to raise his eyebrow. "Gah, what is it now?"

"I don't feel like watching an opera. Everything sucks!"

The king rolled his eyes. "Ya danged sissy. It's just a phase, all y'all kids get 'em at some point, you'll grow out of it!"

"No!" the princess pouted. "I mean… Camilla's gone crazy! Xander's a lot scarier, and Leo… well he's kind of the same, actually."

He narrowed his eyes. "Iffin' I recall, it was yer own bright idea to follow me to the opera in the first place. Now siddown and enjoy the music!"

The young princess hung her head. "Okay…"

"Dang kids, don't know the value of a gold coin…"

"What's the show about anyway?" asked the downtrodden child.

"Heck if I know." Garon leaned back in his chair. "I just got a letter in the mail, it said to come here and they'd sing for me!"

"… Wait, what? Father that sounds weird."

" **Don't you backtalk me!** "

"Aaah! I'm sorry!"

Garon almost cracked the faintest hint of the small possibility of a tiny smile. "I forgive ya. Now pipe down and let's hear the opera!"

* * *

At that time, Azura stepped out on the stage, plain as day. Hinata waved. "Hey Lady Azura!"

"Hey."

With the greeting out of the way, Azura took a deep breath and music began to play. She started dancing along.

_"We're no strangers to love-  
_ _You know the rules, and so do I…  
_ _A full commitment's what I'm thinking of-  
_ _You wouldn't get this from any other guy…  
_ _I just want to tell you how I'm feeling…  
_ _Gotta make you understand!_

_Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down!  
_ _Never gonna run around and desert you!  
_ _Never gonna make you cry! Never gonna say goodbye!  
_ _Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you!"_

As the chorus began, Garon began groaning, and clutching his chest tightly. Elise gasped.

"Father?!"

" **Not now, Elise! I'm in a state of discomfort, and it increases!** "

_"We've known each other, for so long-  
_ _You heart's been aching but, you're too shy to say it!  
_ _Inside we both know what's been going on-  
_ _We know the game and, we're gonna play it!  
_ _And if you ask me how I'm feeling…  
_ _Don't tell me that you're too blind to see!_

_Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down!  
_ _Never gonna run around and desert you!  
_ _Never gonna make you cry! Never gonna say goodbye!  
_ _Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you!_

_Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down!  
_ _Never gonna run around and desert you!  
_ _Never gonna make you cry! Never gonna say goodbye!  
_ _Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you!"_

* * *

When the song ended, Corrin looked around. She and hers were the only ones left in the house. "I… don't know what to say."

In his boat, Kaden leaned in to whisper to Kaze. " _What's the play about?_ "

"Ugh…"

"CORRIN!" Garon's familiar roar cut through the air, forcing everyone to turn around. King Garon and a group of soldiers stood by the exit, with a distraught Elise by his side.

"F-f-fa… King Garon," Corrin greeted, standing up in her boat. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Don't you play games with me, girl! Yer gonna get sent out to pasture! All y'all are!" Garon threatened.

Sakura shivered and clung to Hinoka for safety. "B-big sister can he do that? Nestra's sup-pposed to be neutral!"

Azura chuckled to herself. "I can't believe you actually fell for that, Garon. I went through all the trouble of setting this up, and you actually make it all the way here, and I played my song for you. Hook, line, and sinker." She then seized up and clutched her stomach. "Aaah! In… your face…"

Takumi raised his eyebrows in shock. "Seriously?! That's what all this was about?! Zola, can you believe her?" Takumi looked over, but found that Zola was not in his and Corrin's boat. "Zola?"

The man in question was dog paddling through the water. "Your Majesty!"

"Huh? Who're you supposed to be?"

Zola reached the platform with Garon and Elise and climbed out of the water. "Your Majesty, it is I! Zola!"

"Never heard of ya."

"What?!" The mage growled in frustration. "Fine! I see how it is! In fact, the only reason I even came over here was to quit!"

"Say that again…" Garon leaned forward, now glaring at Zola with the intensity of a hundred raging soldiers.

"Um… I thought I'd pursue my rap career, this whole mage thing has taken up too much time… So could you talk Lord Leo into not killing me? And maybe pardon Lady Corrin? I mean, you still have four kids, and everyone's got to leave the nest sometime!"

Jakob watched from his seat, shaking his head. "Well. He's certain to die."

"Don't say that, Jakob!" Felicia scolded. "Maybe he can rap his way out of this, and it'll distract Garon! Kind of like what Azura did!"

Mozu stared at Felicia. "… Are you a few bricks short of a load or what?!"

Garon stared at Zola for about half a minute. Elise looked around nervously. The soldiers on both sides could not bear to look away.

"… So I'll just be leaving n-"

"DIE!" Garon swung his axe with all his might.

"B'laaaaaaah!" Zola fell limply into the water, turning the pond red with his blood.

The room fell silent. All but Garon were stunned. Sakura clung tightly to Hinoka, who pat her reassuringly. Izana narrowed his eyes, as if analyzing King Garon. Hinata and Oboro's weapons shook in their hands. Silas, Mozu, Jakob and Felicia were petrified entirely. Rinkah was glaring, while Kaze was already looking for a possible exit. Kaden was gaping in terror. Takumi tightened his grip on his bow. Only Corrin was able to speak, and her words rang true in everyone's minds.

"How… how heartless of you!"

"F-father why?!" Elise asked, crying, and Garon turned to her.

"It's like I said, girl. Ya gotta salt the earth before the seeds get too overgrown." He then turned to Corrin. "And yer next, brat! I don't got a branding iron, but I got Bolverk with me!" He turned to his soldiers. "I WANT THAT TRAITOR'S HEAD! NOW!"

The Nohrians began to swarm the area, running along bridges to reach the boats carrying the Hoshidans. Kaze leapt out of his boat to find Corrin.

"Lady Kamui, it would be best if you left _right now._ "

"But where? The only way out is through Garon! And I'm giving him a piece of my mind!" Corrin's grip on Yato tightened, and Takumi nodded.

"Yeah! Now that's something a sister of mine would say! … Okay maybe not Sakura. But you get it."

"There's an exit backstage, and we could get in trouble for having a battle in a neutral country. Please, escape with your siblings, and the rest of us will buy time before following."

The princess sighed. "Fine… But you'd better not die, Kaze. No seriously, you have a habit of losing fights."

"I…" Kaze blushed, but then sighed. "Okay."

Corrin and Takumi quickly got off their boat and began to swim toward the stage. Azura walked closer to the edge, to be able to help them up. Meanwhile, Hinoka whistled and called forth her Pegasus.

"Get on the Pegasus, Sakura, he'll take you away with the others."

"But Hinoka, we need you too!"

"I have to give you guys the best chance at getting away, or else I've failed you as a big sister. Now get going! I'll catch up!"

"I'll go with them, just in case! Who knows what kind of bad guys are waiting out back?" Izana then hopped aboard the Pegasus with Sakura, and they took off. Hinoka looked at the nagianta she was carrying.

"Guess it's time to see if I can fight on the ground."

As Hinoka prepared for combat, all the other retainers and Mozu did the same.

"Heavens t' Betsy, I didn't sign up for this!" the farmer shrieked.

A giant fox, formerly Kaden, hopped out of his and Rinkah's boat, and began to jump along the other boats, with the occasional Nohrian soldier serving as a stepping stone. " _I'm gonna fight King Garon! Just me! No items! Final Destination!_ "

"I can't let you do that, fox," a smooth voice called. Kaden stopped and found himself face to face with a gray-haired swordsman.

" _Huh? Hey what're we up to?_ "

"We?" the swordsman raised his brow. "I'm here to serve my liege and bring down that traitorous Lady Corrin. Such a shame, too, she was quite pretty."

Kaden would shrug if he were in human form. " _Well okay. I'm gonna go fight Garon now!_ "

"Not if you can't get past me. I must warn you- I'm a man of passion! En garde!" the soldier came at Kaden with his sword, but Rinkah dropped in, blocking with her club.

"I just met you, and you're already burning me up!"

The man wiggled his eyebrows. "Ooh. Hello there. The name's Laslow, though I have the feeling we won't be getting along." Rinkah tried ramming her club into Laslow's face, but the man moonwalked away. "Aha! My life has been saved by the miracle of dancing! Again."

Kaden slipped past Laslow. " _Seeya buddy!_ "

"What the- OOOH!" Laslow got smacked upside the head by Rinkah. "Dirty fighter… not bad."

"Don't forget me," Kaze gave the enemy no time to react as he appeared from nowhere, and cut him down with a shuriken.

"Rrrk! I'm a lover, not a fighter…"

The man fell unconscious, as Kaze dusted his palms. "See? I can win fights too."

* * *

On the other side of the theater, Jakob and Felicia had their backs together as they fought off various soldiers, until a raspy voice sent a chill down their spines.

"A butler _and_ a maid? Yaaay, they're the most fun to kill!"

Jakob's eyes narrowed. "Oh gods. I've heard the rumors…" He and Felicia found themselves before a cavalier woman with blue hair. The tips of her hair were dyed pink, and she carried a spear with childlike glee. "Felicia… we're up against Dame Peri."

"Peri?! Not her!"

"Aw, you heard of me!" the cavalier blushed. "Oh well. Killing time! Yay!"

Peri threw her spear at the two servants, but Jakob managed to grab it out of the air. "… Gods, did I really do that?!" He turned to his colleague. "Felicia, stop standing around and get us out of here!"

"Oh!"

The maid focused and all the water near the boat froze. Felicia hopped out and began to make a trail of ice, which Jakob followed. Peri gasped. "Hey! You can't leave, I have to rip out your intestines! Give back my stabbing stick!"

Jakob callously threw the lance into the water, prompting Peri to pull out a sword, and kick her horse, taking it onto the ice.

"Get them!"

"Nohrian Scum!" Oboro cursed, running up to Peri from behind.

"Huh?"

Oboro unleashed a twirling attack, which knocked Peri off her horse and onto the ice. The frozen waves began to crack. With a gasp from Peri, the ice shattered, and she and her horse fell in.

Hinata looked away from a fight he was having. "Hey, nice one Oboro!"

Peri stuck her head out of the water, sobbing. "Waaaah! I didn't want to go for a swim today, I just wanted to kill the butler! Is that so much to ask?!"

* * *

Garon stood completely still, and stared at the giant fox standing before him.

" _Hey Garon! Let's fight!_ "

"Nah."

Kaden faltered. " _Wh-what? But c'moooon! It'll be fun!_ "

"I had a long day. And killin' Zola wore me out. I'd rather not. Now go on, get!"

The Kitsune slouched his head. " _Aw man! You're no fun…_ "

As Kaden slunk away in disappointment, Elise turned to her father. "Can we please go now?" She sniffled. "I just want to go home…"

The king stroked his beard.

"Not yet, Elise. Xander's up t' somethin' and I reckon it'll be real entertaining!"

* * *

Up on the stage, Hinoka had made it. She and Silas were fighting off Nohrians and protecting Mozu, when suddenly a red beam hit the princess, knocking her over.

"Lady Hinoka!" Silas gasped. He looked and found her attacker- Prince Xander. His horse trotted up to the three fighters.

"Hmph. What did you call Corrin? Kamui? Well… did 'Kamui' ever warn you of my strength? Because you're about to experience it firsthand."

"Uh, I'm just a villager, so can I go?" Mozu asked. Silas seemed much more comfortable with the situation.

"Oh hey Lord Xander! Say, I don't really trust Iago, so could you maybe tell my parents I'm doing okay?"

The prince pointed Siegfried, his sacred blade, at Silas. "I'm afraid not. Because that would be a lie."

Hinoka finally got back up and slammed Xander off his horse with her weapon. "Fight me on even ground, scum!"

The prince stood back up with a grunt, and immediately charged for Hinoka. He took swing after swing, trying to cut the princess down. Silas pulled out a javelin and gulped. Mozu had seemingly vanished.

"Oh boy… I guess I need to prove myself…" He hurled the javelin, but the prince jumped backward to avoid it. Not seeing why he did that, Hinoka stepped forward to attack Xander, and got hit in the leg with the javelin.

"Aaaah!"

"No! I was aiming for Xander!"

Xander glared at Silas. "Pretending won't help you, traitor."

"No seriously, you moved at the last second!" Silas winced. "Hinoka I'm sorry!" The princess nearly fell over, having to lean on her naginata to keep her standing. Blood was flowing down her leg.

"Gah… I refuse… This isn't… how it ends! C'mere!" In one motion, Hinoka let go of her naginata, grabbed a surprised Xander by the shoulders…

"What are you-"

"HYAH!"

…and slammed her head into Xander's.

"Gaaah!"

"Argh!" the prince flailed, still holding Siegfried, but clutching his nose with his free hand. Hinoka fell onto her back from all the pain, while Silas quickly rode up to the distracted prince and hit the back of his head with the flat of his sword. "I _will_ protect my friends, milord!"

Not defeated, Xander turned around and swung Siegfried, hitting Silas in the torso. "I'm no longer your lord, traitor."

"XANDER!"

The prince looked over and found Corrin and Mozu riding in on a Pegasus. The horse whinnied loudly and charged right for the prince. Xander's sword shot another beam, but the horse veered out of the way. During that, Corrin jumped off. Hitting the ground, she became a dragon and stampeded toward Xander, ultimately pinning him to the stage.

"Grrr! Corrin…!"

" **Mozu, get Hinoka out of here! We're leaving!** "

The farm girl hopped to the floor and helped Hinoka stand. "It's okay Miss Hinoka, we'll have your sister take a look at ya."

As this happened, Silas saw that all the rest of the retainers were making their way to the stage to retreat. "I wonder if this counts as exiting stage left or right… Oh well."

The knight ran off, and when all her friends had made it, Corrin unpinned Xander and ran off.

"Corrin!" the prince called after his former sister. He got back up, but could only stay on one knee. "It was your decision to abandon us and become my enemy. Know that!"

The dragon stopped in her tracks and changed back. She looked over her shoulder to Xander. "Xander…" she sighed. "Nothing I can say will work…"

"Xander, please stop," Elise said, finally reaching the stage herself. "You're hurt, can't we just go home?"

"… Fine." He then turned to Corrin. "But we will face each other one day, Little Princess." His eyes became harsh. "And I will strike you down."

"Xander, stop it!" Elise was on the verge of tears. Deciding to cut her losses, Corrin finally ran away.

* * *

Corrin, Izana and Takumi stood together at a harbor. The lively Onmyoji was uncharacteristically quiet, which allowed the siblings to converse.

"How's Hinoka doing?" asked the half-dragon.

"She's exhausted, and even after the healing, she'll need to recover. But she should be fine." Takumi looked over. "Thanks for saving her…"

"She's my sister too, Takumi. We're in this together. Even if Mozu hadn't reported it to us, I was going to come back for her." Then she paused. "Say, where's Azura?"

The archer shrugged. "Oh, probably off Azura-ing somewhere. She'll be fine."

"I'm gonna go check…" Corrin walked off, and Takumi went in another direction.

"I should probably make sure Hinata doesn't get lost, looking for a field."

Izana was all alone.

"King Garon… something's different about him…"

* * *

"Azura!" Corrin ran across the empty street to find the collapsed body of her friend. "Azura, speak to me! What happened?!"

"I sang too hard."

"You… you what?"

The singer shook her head. Her voice was completely breathless. "N-nothing, forget it… I just need to rest…"

"O-okay. I guess I'll have to carry you back… Alley-oop!"

With no fuss, she picked Azura up and began making her way to their group's hideout. "Thank you…"

Corrin smiled. "Don't worry, I'm never gonna let you down."

"Not… funny…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I consider this one of the more important chapters of the Birthright route. Since we had a lot to accomplish, the chapter is a little longer than usual. Think of that as somewhat making up for taking last week off.
> 
> Like I said last time, I like the quartet of Takumi, his retainers and Zola, so I gave them one last scene together. Also, Oboro made a reference to a Leo/Flora fic I found on AO3, called Aurora Polaris. It's a good read. Also we meet Kaden in this chapter. In my original Birthright run, I paired Corrin with him, but that will not be happening in this fic.
> 
> And yeah, Azura invited Garon all the way to Nestra just so she could rickroll him. Priorities are fun. This is also Garon's first appearance in this particular fanfic. He was in the fic dedicated to the first five chapters, and recurs in the Conquest version. But if someone has been reading only this fic, let me explain- Garon speaks like a cowboy. It's implied that it's unusual even for him. Izana seems to know what's up.
> 
> If I can gush over my own joke, I just love the sheer audacity of Kaden trying to challenge King Garon to a fight, like they're old pals or something.
> 
> I hope Hinoka and Xander's fight was serviceable. I wanted it to get kind of ugly. Admittedly, it could have been more brutal, but Hinoka was more stalling for time than anything else. Between that and (most of) Zola's death scene, things are starting to get a little dark for Birthright. I won't forget that this is a comedy, but things are going to get tough for Corrin in the upcoming chapters.
> 
> Look forward to the next one, we finally get to Cheve.


	8. O Sister, Where Art Thou?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin and the group make it to Cheve, but Camilla is there, and she's ready to rumble.

The Hoshidans' morale took a serious hit after the incident in Cyrkensia. Zola was slain, Hinoka was still hurt from taking on Prince Xander (not to mention Silas accidentally tossing a javelin at her), and Azura seemed weaker than usual. Oh, and Kaden the Kitsune stowed away with everyone. But that was the past. It was a new day, and the army had finally made it to Cheve. If the prisoners in Mokushu were trustworthy, it was very likely that Ryoma would be nearby.

The royal family and Azura were all together in the city streets, though Hinoka had some bandages applied. Takumi eyed her nervously.

"Hinoka, don't you think it might be safer if you stayed in Lilith's spectral realm, or whatever it's called?"

"And miss reuniting with Ryoma? Not happening!"

Corrin frowned. "I'm sorry again I didn't tell you guys about Xander's sword." She then worriedly looked over at Takumi. "And not because I was reluctant to give away his secrets or anything!"

"I didn't think you wer-"

"Wait, what if on some level, that _was_ the reason? Gods, no wonder you hated me, I can't commit to a side!"

The lone prince groaned. "Can you please stop reminding me-"

Lilith flew out of Corrin's travel bag, startling everyone. "Lady Corrin!"

"Aah! Lilith, you've been quiet lately," Corrin had already forgotten her crisis over Xander. "What is it?"

"You know how I can sense if a person has the ability to use a Dragon's Vein?"

"No."

"Well- … You didn't? Oh. Well I can. And there's someone like that in this town!"

"I-is it Ryoma?" Sakura dared to hope. Hinoka grimaced.

"Or maybe one of the Nohrians."

"I don't really know. I just thought you'd like a heads up."

Corrin sighed. "Well thanks for telling us, Lilith. You'll get extra Lilith Snacks tonight."

"Ruff, ruff!" After a brief contentment, Lilith suddenly tensed up. "Grrrr! Ruff!"

"What is it, Lilith?" Corrin asked. "Did Sakura fall down the well?"

Sakura, standing in the exact spot she had been, looked confused.

"Ruff!"

Corrin gasped. "No… it can't be!" The princess turned around. Sashaying down the main road was none other than Princess Camilla, with a troubling gleam in her eye.

"My precious little Corrin. You must have been so lonely without your big sister around." Camilla walked up to Corrin and immediately hugged her. It was a tight hold, Corrin could feel herself losing oxygen, and wondered if this was intentional.

"Not a very modest princess…" Takumi muttered to himself.

Hinoka forewent passive-aggression in favor of plain, regular aggression. "Hey, quit choking her! She's not even your sister, you faker!"

Just like that, Camilla held Corrin tighter as a smile crept onto her face. "Aww, your sister cares about you so much, Corrin!" Then the smile went away. "Just like I did."

"Camilla… can't… breathe!"

"Hmm." The Nohrian princess let go of her sister, allowing her some air. "There, see? I'm not so unreasonable. You know I love my little sisters and brother, Corrin. More than most older siblings do. By an unhealthy amount, maybe, but that's a discussion for another day." Corrin was catching her breath, and did not respond. "Since I've shown you kindness, perhaps you'd reconsider abandoning me and going to war with the kingdom that raised you?"

"Camilla… I love you… and the others… but I have to… have to do this…"

Camilla's visible eye narrowed. "Oh. You _have to_ , do you?" She folded her arms. "You had to forget everything I've done for you? You had to add to Xander's already mountainous amounts of stress? You had to make Elise cry herself to sleep for a week straight? And then there's Leo. He…" Camilla put a hand to her chin. "Actually, Leo's not that different. But still!"

At that point, Corrin had caught her breath. "Camilla I'm sorry! But I explained my reasons, and I still believe in them! What would _you_ do if you were in my situation?"

"Oh, silly Corrin. We can't think about what-ifs. Just tell me," she looked over to the Hoshidans and Azura, "do these people love you?"

"Y-yes."

"She's my little sister!"

"I mean, I don't know if I'm included in this," Azura said. She looked over at Takumi. "But you…"

"For crying out loud, yes! Why does everyone think I still have a grudge? I haven't said anything mean to Kamui in ages!"

"Kamui, is it?" Camilla asked. "Well, since you're loved, that's all I want. Which means I should kill you before they stop loving you!"

"Uhh, that's a slight jump in logic!" Corrin freaked out. She turned to her siblings. "Scatter!"

The Hoshidans and Lilith all ran away from Camilla, causing the princess to chuckle. "Oh silly Corrin. Or Kamui. There is no hiding."

The legend himself, Hans, approached Princess Camilla. "HANS WANT KILL NOW!"

"Fine. Tell Selena, Beruka and the others that we're fighting." She glared daggers at Hans. "But I'm in a _mood_ , Hans. If you do something I don't like, not even Father's favoritism will save you."

"ME JUST WANT TO KILL!"

* * *

The plan was simple: Sakura and Azura, being lesser combatants, would stay around the outer edges and search for Ryoma. Mozu and Izana would assist and provide defense. Hinoka would stay out of battle, but nearby to coordinate the troops. Jakob and Felicia would stay with Hinoka for her own security. Everyone else split into teams of two: Kaze and Silas, Orochi and Reina, Corrin and Takumi. These teams would get the attention of the Nohrians (while searching for Ryoma themselves).

Azura opened a door. "Are you Ryoma?"

An old lady shook her head. "Nope."

"Oh." She stood completely still. "… Are you Ryoma now?"

Sakura knocked on another door.

"We don't want any!" said the grumpy old man.

"H-have you seen my brother? He's tall, he has long hair, and wears r-red armor."

"What's yer offer?"

"I-I don't have any money-"

"Then get lost!" The old man looked back into his house. "Muriel! Where's my dinner?!" The door slammed shut, and Sakura sighed.

Mozu was hurrying down a street, and looked back behind her. "Mr. Izana, hurry up!"

"Huh? Oh yeah."

"You've been awful distracted lately, what's goin' on with you?"

Izana put a finger to his chin. "I just can't seem to figure it out, but something's wrong with King Garon. I've met him before, and he was a cool dude! I wonder what happened to him. My Izana Senses are tingling all over!"

"… I think they have a lotion for that," Mozu offered.

"No, not like that!" Izana paused. "Although there are a dozen spider bites on my foot that I don't remember getting, so maybe we can buy something for that." He shook his head. "But anyway! You ever notice how Garon has a similar accent as yours? He didn't always have that!"

The farmer grew indignant. "And just what's that supposed to mean? Something's wrong with the way I talk?"

"Hmm…"

"Mr. Izana!"

"I'm just saying."

* * *

"Orochi, have you ever noticed that we don't talk to each other?" Reina asked, as she and Orochi were patrolling the central streets. The diviner nodded.

"Yeah it's weird. We were both retainers to Queen Mikoto, and we don't ever really talk to each other. Let's bond!" Orochi put a finger to her chin. "Hmm. Do you enjoy a good joke, Reina?"

"No more than the next person," the Kinshi Knight admitted. "Do you get a rush out of battle, out of seeing the light leave someone's eyes as they die?"

"Gods no!"

"… I'm beginning to see why we don't hang out much."

"Yeah…"

A shrill voice called out to the retainers. "Hold it right there, Hoshidans!"

Camilla's retainers, Selena and Beruka, were ready to face off against the unacquainted Hoshidans. Reina's eyes sparkled with joy. "Ah! Nohrians! I look forward to your deaths!"

"Shut up… baka!"

"Yes?" Beruka looked over.

"No! I said 'baka', not 'Beruka'!" Selena rolled her eyes. "Gods, they don't even sound that similar!" She scoffed. "Whatever. You take the flier, I'll get the other one."

"Oh gods _yes_ , fight me!" Reina's heartbeat quickened, while Orochi scowled.

"I'm just 'the other one' to you? How rude. Hmhmhmhm…" An ominous giggling. "Someone should have taught you to fear my magic!"

"Let's get this over with!"

Beruka pulled out her axe. "Beginning the conflict."

As the four fighters ran up to each other, Kaze and Silas came up to the scene. The knight smiled.

"Oh hey, it's Selena and Beruka."

Kaze nodded. "And there's Orochi and Reina."

"Who do we help again?" Silas asked, turning to Kaze.

"Well we _are_ fighting for Hoshido, last I checked…" the ninja began.

"Right."

The two men joined the fray, and it became a wild affair.

* * *

Elsewhere in town, Corrin and Takumi were sticking together, as per the plan. They had taken care of a few soldiers, leaving them some quiet time to scan the area for any signs of Ryoma.

"Hmm…"

"What is it, Takumi?" Corrin looked away from the area she was searching.

"I… nothing," the prince lied. "Just thinking about…" He sighed. "I wanted to be the one to find Ryoma. I mean, since I came back and he didn't, that means I lost him!"

The white-haired girl tilted her head. "I don't think I follow that logic." She frowned. "You know, Takumi, I've noticed you like to put yourself down a lot of the time."

"What? N-no I don't!"

The older girl sighed, resting her hands on her hips. "Different person, same relationship. You're really a lot like him, deep down."

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember how I have… I _had_ a little brother in Nohr? He was a lot like you, he never thought that he was good enough. Always wanting to surpass our… _his_ big brother. So instead of learning to use a sword, he became a mage." Corrin stepped closer to her brother. "And you know what? He pretended not to care, but I knew it was bothering him. I might seem a little naïve… well, because I am. But I could still tell when my brother was upset, because… I think I might've felt the same." Takumi turned around. "And I'm seeing it happen all over again with you."

The archer narrowed his eyes. "I'd… really appreciate it if you didn't compare me to your Nohrian family."

Corrin sighed. "Okay, fine. But the point is, I can tell you feel like you're trapped in Ryoma's shadow. Maybe even more than only his shadow, I don't know." Finally, Corrin put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "But I think it's kind of weird how selective you're being. Won't compare yourself to Nohrians, but always compare yourself to Ryoma? Why can't you just be Takumi?"

He could not think of an answer. Corrin let go of him and walked past, resuming her search. "Just… something to think about. I know that even though I'm your big sister, I've missed too much of your life to be able to tell you these things…"

"Kamui…" Takumi got her attention again. "You're right. We weren't able to grow up together," he cracked a smile, "but that's not a problem anymore, right?"

Corrin's lips formed into a wide grin. "No, it's not." Excitedly, she pointed toward Takumi. "In fact, I have an idea! How about after we leave Cheve, you teach me how to use a Yumi?"

"What?"

"You look so cool, using Fujin like it's nothing! Hinoka told me how hard that weapon is to use, so I bet you really know your stuff!"

Takumi blushed. "Uh… well it was… a little difficult…"

"That settles it! My little brother's going to teach me everything there is to know about using a Yumi!" _Not that I'd rather use one over Yato, or turning into a dragon. But it'd be a nice to spend time with my siblings without a war in the background…_

"HA! DUMB HOSHIDANS!"

The echo of Hans' voice cut through the air and drained all the good cheer from Corrin. With a wicked glower, the red-eyed princess began seeing red at the mere sight of Garon's favorite barbarian.

"Hans…"

Takumi grimaced. "I think I hate this guy already. Who is he?"

* * *

"Haha, you asked for it!" Orochi warned. She waved an Ox Scroll several times, creating an entire herd of spirit oxen. "Run, my darlings! Stampede her!"

"Running, running, running, running!" Selena repeated. From an alleyway, Silas joined the charge, holding his sword heroically.

"Aha! Onward, energy oxen! To victory!"

"Frickin' energy oxen," Selena said, doing her best Running of the Bulls impression. "I don't get paid enough for this!"

Selena ran into an alleyway, evading the oxen. The stampede, and evidently Silas, passed by harmlessly.

"Uh, oxen? We missed her, just so you know." He shrugged. "Eh I'm sure she'll leave us alone."

Elsewhere, Reina and her Kinshi were mounted on a rooftop, with the rider taking shots at Beruka. Unfortunately, Beruka was able to weave past all the arrows, before raising her axe.

"…"

Reina tilted her head. "Hm? Do you wish to say something? You know, you remind me a bit of Saizo right now…"

The quiet assassin threw her axe at Reina, yet Kaze leapt into the air and grabbed the axe himself. "No throwing unless it's a shuriken. That's the rule."

"I could have avoided that, Kaze," Reina told him.

"I… just wanted to help. You could at least thank me."

* * *

Hinoka sat on her Pegasus, though the horse remained grounded. She scanned the area for any signs of suspicious activity. "Hmph. I should be out there with the rest of them."

"That would not do, Lady Hinoka," Jakob told her. "You are still recovering."

The princess scoffed. "Can't believe it. Our army gets into fights all the time, and I'm the only one who gets beaten this bad."

"That's just because you push yourself so hard!" Felicia said. "I know a hard worker when I see one. You've been great so far!"

"Indeed." Jakob nodded his head, a rare showing of approval for anyone other than Corrin. "You've been leading this army since we've come across you."

"Besides, Prince Xander is jacked!"

"I could've fought him better if I were in my element. And if Silas weren't there…" She winced, still feeling a slight pain in her leg. "I just wish I could be out there, keeping the others safe. Who knows what that other princess is planning to do…"

Felicia winced. "Uhhh, why don't we ask her ourselves?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hinoka.

"Incoming!" Felicia ran out of the way, shortly followed by Jakob and the Pegasus. Everyone had managed to avoid a massive fireball. "Phew," Felicia wiped sweat form her brow, "that was a close one!"

Princess Camilla flew in on her zombie wyvern, Marzia, wearing a look of confusion. "Strange, I thought that would hit you. Though I was always more proficient with battle axes…"

"You!" Hinoka shot her counterpart a dirty look. "What do you want?!"

"Isn't it obvious? You're the reason Corrin left me! You, that rude little boy, that talking lobster… This is all your fault. So now you have to die!" She then flashed Hinoka a pleasant smile. "I've overheard that you took on Xander back in Cyrkensia. And he _is_ strong…"

Camilla's eyes became fierce.

"But honey, I'm _ruthless._ "

Hinoka did not back down, almost seeming to desire this clash as much as Camilla. Jakob held up a knife. "Lady Corrin's servants! Battle stations!"

"I-it's just you and me, but I understand!" Felicia shouted.

Camilla's dragon spat a fireball, but Felicia waved her arms, creating a cold wind that immediately trumped the flames. "Didn't expact that, didja?!" Not amused by this, Camilla traded her tome for an axe and swooped down to get rid of Felicia. The maid jumped to the side, throwing daggers at Marzia as she passed.

"RRRAH!"

"My baby!" She glared. "How dare you hurt Marzia!"

Jakob felt nothing. "We apologize, Lady Camilla, but Lady Corrin would not like it if her sister died."

"Is… that really all I am to you? Just her sister?" asked Hinoka.

"Quite."

"I mean, I'm sure you're an okay gal…" Felicia began. Camilla chuckled, closing her eyes.

"Oh dear. You lack in charisma? I suppose that's one more advantage I have over you. Honestly, I'm not sure why Corrin thought she'd be happier with y-"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!"

When Camilla looked again, Hinoka's Pegasus was airborne, and the princess was swinging her naginata. It was too late to evade, Camilla was struck across the cheek. But she did not react at first. Slowly, she felt for her cheek, and noticed blood on her fingers.

"Hmph. My mother has cut me deeper than that. You'll have to try harder! Marzia!" The dragon reacted, and began to ascend. The two princesses shared a nod, and both flew their mounts to opposite sides of the street.

"Jakob, what are they doing?" asked Felicia.

"If I know my overblown fight scenes, I'd say they're about to joust."

"Hyaaaaa!"

"Time for you to go night-night!"

The princesses flew toward each other and swung their weapons, hitting the other successfully, knocking each other off their mounts and onto the ground below.

"Oooh. That's going to hurt. But more importantly- called it!" Jakob cleared his throat. "Let's heal Lady Hinoka."

* * *

"TIME FOR HANS TO KILL CORRIN AND STUD MCCOOL!" Hans bellowed.

What Takumi had just come to realize was that there were two people in this world Corrin loathed with all her heart. One was King Garon, and even then she felt some strange attachment, he could tell. But as far as this man was concerned, Takumi could only see pure hatred. He could scarcely remember that Corrin was giving him advice not moments ago.

"Hans, you have a lot of nerve showing your face after what you did to Gunter!"

"HA! HANS REGRET NOTHING!"

The dragon girl's grip on Yato tightened. "You… you're exactly what's wrong with Nohr! You're not even a man, Hans! You're a disease! A rotten plague that does nothing but destroy everything around it!" She shuddered. "I don't know if Gunter would approve, but we're settling this now!"

Hans rolled his eyes. "QUIT TALKING AND FIGHT HANS ALREA- OHHHHH!" An arrow hit Hans in the gut, courtesy of Takumi.

"Get him, Kamui!"

"Right. This ends now, Hans!" Corrin ran up to Hans. Her head changed into that of the dragon, and she swung Yato right across Hans' chest. " **Take that!** " Her other hand became a lance and she rammed it into Hans. " **And that!** " She attacked with Yato again. " **I hope this hurts!** " Then finally, her lance hand retracted and became a dragon mouth. With that, she bit Hans, and threw him into a nearby house. " **I hope you feel everything Gunter felt as he fell into the canyon!** "

"RRRK... hans… kill… later…"

Corrin's face returned to its normal state. She gazed at Hans, but then shook her head. "We have more important things to worry about right now."

"Y-yeah…" Takumi pulled at his collar. "Sure glad we settled our differences when we did, I'd hate to be that guy…"

The half-dragon looked back. "Huh? I didn't catch that."

"Oh nothing…"

* * *

After a short time, everyone had gathered by the northern end of town. Sakura was particularly upset. "None of us could find him?"

"That Ryoma is a slippery fellow!" Izana commented. "Oh hey look, it's Princess Camilla!"

Everyone looked over and saw the bruised and battered princess, riding her wyvern as it slinked along the ground, leaving Cheve. "You've surrounded yourself with strong people, Corrin… Good for you. For my last request, I'd like you to be my executioner."

Corrin nearly threw up. "Camilla! You can't just ask me to do that! Why's it always about death with you?! Nobody's going to kill you!" She turned to her compatriots. "Isn't that right?!"

Reina moaned as she put away her Yumi.

Suddenly, Leo rode up to the scene on his horse. "Hey Camilla sorry I'm late. I fell asle- I mean I had an important mission. Yeah that's it…" He then noticed that Camilla was speaking to Corrin and several Hoshidans. "Uhhh…"

"It's all over, Leo." Camilla let out a sigh. "That reminds me, why did you betray us again, Corrin?"

"The… stuff about the sword exploding and Hans killing Gunter and Garon killing Sumeragi n' all the attacks on Hoshido. And stuff."

Leo scoffed. "You still believe that Father would send you on some suicide errand in order to incite a full-blown war with- Okay yeah that sounds exactly like Father." He pointed a finger at Corrin. "But still!"

Corrin was losing her patience. _Is he serious?_ She narrowed her eyes. "Still _what_ , Leo?"

"… I don't know; I just woke up."

"SEEEE! YOOOOOUR! DEEEEEEEEATH!"

Everyone looked over, and Sakura gasped. "Is that…?!"

Ryoma was sprinting toward everyone else. He ran past his family and made it to Leo. In one motion, he picked Leo up off his horse, and threw him into Camilla's arms. "Catch!"

"Aaaaah!"

"Oh my!" Camilla held out her arms and caught Leo. "Phew!"

"You fiends. This tyranny will come to an end." Ryoma looked at the giant wall nearby. "SCARLET!" A Wyvern Lord flew over the northern wall. As it passed, the dragon sprayed a fireball down by Leo's horse. Startled, Leo's mount whinnied and ran away.

"Why do they keep getting rid of my horse?!" Leo lamented. Hearing this, the Wyvern Lord shook the reins, signaling for the dragon to land close to Leo and Camilla.

They reached the ground, and it was clear that the Wyvern Lord was a woman in red armor, with a flower pinned to her chest. "Hey. The name's Scarlet. How about you get out of my town while you still can?"

"Fine. But not because you said so, only because I was already leaving. Come on, Marzia." Camilla's wyvern whimpered, trotting away.

"Can you put me down?" Leo asked. He went unanswered.

"Ryoma!" Hinoka called out.

"Hm?" The samurai turned around to find himself embraced by all of his sisters at the same time. Takumi walked up, folding his arms and trying to look cool.

"Long time no see."

"We missed you so much!" Sakura may have been holding onto Ryoma the tightest. "So much has happened!"

"Sorry I'm late," Ryoma told his family. "But I have good news. Scarlet here's part of a resistance. Turns out the Chevois don't like Garon either."

"Yo."

Corrin smiled. "Looks like the whole family's back together again!"

Hinoka nodded. "It wasn't easy leading these guys, Ryoma. I just don't have your gift." She gave her brother a smile. "But now that you're here, we might as well have won already!"

"Ha! You flatter me, Hinoka. I'm not that powerful on my own."

Everyone immediately denied Ryoma's words, making the samurai flinch. "Well… whatever." He noticed the group of people standing in the distance. Namely, the Nohrian knight, the farmer, and the Archduke of Izumo. "I see you've made some new friends…"

Ryoma and Scarlet herded everyone back to the rebel base. There, they would share their stories, and catch up on recent events. It was a long month since Corrin, Sakura, Azura and the others had left Fort Jinya. But long last, the Hoshidan royal family had been reunited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So interestingly, both versions of Chapter 13 take place in Cheve. So I decided to have a little fun with that. Both chapters contain a scene with Corrin, Takumi and Hans together. But Corrin's ally depends on the route, of course. Then the fight between Camilla's retainers and Mikoto's retainers. This also happens in both chapters, while Kaze and Silas join a different side in each one.
> 
> I didn't really want Hinoka to get into another fight with one of the Nohrian royals right away, but she's a fighter, and in my original Birthright run, Hinoka was the first person Camilla targeted. Also it appears that an angry Camilla is able to deal with Hans much better than a happy Camilla. In this continuity, she's willing to boss him around, with no little sisters to fret over.
> 
> You know what I don't see enough of? Corrin being a big sister/brother for Takumi or Leo. Everyone wants to ship them together, but I want to see more of Corrin being a big sibling, or at least trying. So I gave her a fluff moment (or tried to) with Takumi. Which made writing the Conquest version of this a little harder, I must say. And then there's Hans. Corrin hates Hans after what happened at Bottomless Canyon. In the game she's upset with him, but I decided to play with that some more. And given something else that happens in Birthright, Corrin will manage to hate him even more, oh boy. To be honest, I like this dynamic between Corrin and Hans. He's kind of the third wheel on the "trifecta of badly written Fates villains", everyone focuses on Iago or Garon, but letting Corrin hate Hans kind of balances it out I think. Besides, Iago's a bigger bother for her in Conquest.
> 
> Sakura, Azura, Mozu and Izana kind of got the short end of the stick in this chapter. Like I said, it's hard to balance the amount of characters. But those four appear in every chapter, so they can deal with the back seat for now.
> 
> Next chapter, Corrin learns an important secret.


	9. Law and Border

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that the Hoshidans have found Ryoma, it's time to take the fight to Garon. But first, Ryoma tells Corrin something that will really ruin her day.

After the success in Cheve, Ryoma and Scarlet had led everyone to an underground room.

"So we're underground now. This is where the resistance meets up and we plan our… resisting," Scarlet explained. "Any questions?" Silas raised his hand. "Bathroom's down the hall on the left." Silas lowered his hand and ran off.

"So wh-what do we do now?" Sakura stuttered. Everyone looked around kind of awkwardly.

"… Resist?" offered Scarlet. "Oh wait, I got it! Let's go beat up Garon!"

"Beat him up…" Kaze repeated.

Scarlet nodded. "Yeah!" She waved her hand, envisioning the process. "Come by while he's sleeping, someone puts a bag on his head, and I'll punch 'im! We can all take turns, it'll be great!"

Mozu flashed a confident smirk. "I like where this is going!"

In another part of the room, Hinoka and Ryoma were talking to each other, with Hinoka regaling her brother of the trials she and her siblings had faced. "…And then we jousted! I beat her, but just barely. Ugh… I'm real glad you're back, Ryoma. I don't know how long I could've kept trying to hold us together."

The samurai smiled, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. "You did a fine job, Hinoka. I think you make a better ruler than you realize. But regardless, I'm sorry to have made you all worry."

Elsewhere, Jakob was sweeping the floors, and bumped into Hana. "Excuse you!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Jakob."

He kept sweeping, until he eventually passed Azura. The singer was taking a moment to read a book, until Kaden plopped down next to her. "Hey Azurine, what's up?"

"That's not my-"

"Is that book any good?"

"No."

Kaden raised his eyebrow. "Huh? Then why are you reading it?"

"It's the only one I brought with me," Azura explained. "We sort of left Castle Shirasagi in a hurry."

"Oh I see." Kaden grinned widely, saying, "Want me to get you another one?"

"No."

"Aw c'mon Aquanine, don't be that way!"

"Once again, that's not my-"

Meanwhile, Scarlet had found Ryoma and Hinoka and began speaking with them. "So Ryoma I gotta say, you sure have a lot of siblings."

"Yes…"

"That's cool, that's cool. I was wondering though why all of you have the same names as the Hoshidan royal family."

Ryoma sighed. "Scarlet, we've been over this. We are the royal family."

The rebel giggled to herself and waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah right! Not too unconvincing though, you look pretty regal."

Hinoka looked at Ryoma, and he just shook his head. "Don't bother, I've tried everything I can think of."

Corrin picked that time to join the conversation. "So Scarlet, what are your reasons for this rebellion?"

"Well I have quite a few, really," Scarlet began. "Certainly doesn't help that my grandfather was killed by Garon's forces. I always looked up to him. He was the one that made me want to be a knight!"

"Garon would kill one of his own soldiers?!" Corrin gasped. "Wait, that doesn't actually sound unusual." Scarlet shook her head.

"Actually, Grandpa was Hoshidan. He was serving King Sumeragi when… y'know."

"Oh…" Corrin somberly looked away. "The night I was taken from Hoshido. I might've actually known him." Corrin stroked her chin. "So wait, that makes you Hoshidan and Nohrian, right? You might just be a better mix of the kingdoms than me!"

"Huh?"

"Oh. Well you see, I was born in Hoshido," Corrin started. Ryoma coughed nervously. "But one time I went to Cheve and got kidnapped, and was raised in Nohr for most of my life."

"That sounds… weird," Scarlet told her. "But whatever. So I guess we're all buds now."

A random Nohrian soldier waltzed into the room. "Hey, uhhh, guys? We kinda have a couple dozen guards outside, ready to kill us."

"What?!" Scarlet and Ryoma asked at once.

"Yeah, we should probably get going…"

Scarlet pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh all right, let's go! Everyone, I know a secret path out!"

The Wyvern Lord led everyone out of the safe house, and into a tunnel nearby. After a few moments, Silas walked into the room.

"… Guys? Where'd you go?"

* * *

Everyone was making their way through the tunnels. Hinoka had taken her horse with her, and was riding it, still injured from her recent battles.

"Ryoma, I can't keep ignoring this."

"Hm?"

"Ever since Kamui came back, you've been nervous every time she mentions her birth. Even when it was just the two of us," Hinoka said. "Why is that?"

The samurai let out a sigh. "Maybe everyone should know… When we have a moment, I'll tell you and the rest of our family."

Up ahead, Felicia raised her hand. "Ooh, Ms. Scarlet? Where are we going?"

"Well if I recall correctly, this tunnel's taking us right by the border!" Scarlet chirped. "Guess we're gonna have to go for Nohr directly, just ourselves."

"Wait, wasn't Cheve in Nohr?" the maid was confused.

"Well… y'know…" Scarlet trailed off. Azura merely shook her head.

"I sure am tired of people saying that."

* * *

From a hidden vantage point on a cliff, the Hoshidans observed the Nohrian border fortress. There were several guards outside, and Corrin whistled in awe.

"Guess this is it. Time to finally take the fight to Garon."

"Yup!" Scarlet looked down at her bejeweled Killer Axe. "This is gonna be awesome!"

Ryoma cleared his throat. "Anyway, we should all prepare ourselves. But I'd like to call a family meeting, and that includes Azura."

Izana walked up to everyone. "Oooh, juicy information!"

"Without you."

"Aww!"

Scarlet was trusted to prepare the troops, and soon enough Ryoma had his siblings together.

"Ahem… So you might be wondering why I've gathered you all here today."

"T-to beat up King Garon?" Sakura ventured.

"No. Well, yes, but also no." Noticing the disinterest in Takumi and Azura's eyes, Ryoma carried on. "I've never been good at long explanations, so I'll just get to the point."

Everyone nodded, signaling for Ryoma to proceed.

"You see, today, here in this field, by the Nohrian border, I am about to reveal to you all a secret I've been sworn to. It was not my choice to carry this secret, yet I did so anyway, at the request of our father, King Sumeragi. You may remember Sumeragi from events as 'our childhood', 'the time he died in Cheve' and other classic memories. This man, our father, had entrusted me with secret knowledge pertaining to our family. The two of us and a third, or maybe even fourth now that I think about it- anyway, we were the sole bearers of this knowledge. And knowing what I knew, it filled me with a sense of reluctant responsibility. As the eldest child and heir to the throne, I had to get used to putting the feelings and needs of others ahead of my own, and I'd like to think I've been competent in putting that to practice to this point. When Father first instilled me with that value, I did not immediately appreciate its gravity, not even in regards to the secret I am about to divulge. I think it was shortly after Sakura's birth when I started to realize just what Father really meant, and from that moment on I felt a renewed sense of responsibility, and always made sure to be a model citizen, to lead by example as it were. I think that if all Hoshidans learned more about hospitality, perhaps this war could've been-"

"TEN WORDS OR LESS, RYOMA!" Takumi yelled.

"Oh…" Ryoma blushed, and cleared his throat once more. "It's about Kamui." Corrin raised her eyes, as everyone looked to her. "Kamui… First, I want you to know that I'll always regard you as one of my sisters."

"What are you…" Corrin was feeling nervous. _Oh no. This isn't some weird love confession is it? I mean, he's not unattractive. But he's my brother! Gross! … Wait, what's he saying?_

"But you are not actually related to us by blood."

 _Oh no, he really is coming on to me! … Wait, what?!_ "What?" Corrin repeated aloud.

"Wh-what?!" Sakura was blown away.

"Huh?!" Hinoka's eyes widened.

"… Meh." Azura shrugged.

Ryoma winced. "Well, you know how Queen Mikoto was specifically your mother, and not ours?"

"… NO!"

"Oh…" Ryoma sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought you at least knew that much. But yeah, one day, Queen Mikoto showed up. And she brought you with her. You were still a baby. I don't remember the specifics."

Sakura blushed and hid her face, not wanting to be more involved in this than she already was. Hinoka gave her middle sister a sympathetic look, but Corrin was too distracted. She then remembered something Mikoto had told her, something she had never had the chance to ask her about.

 _No, silly! I didn't live in Hoshido_ all _my life! But I'm the queen now, and that's all that matters._

Corrin blinked. "… Why now?"

"Well, we're going to be facing Nohr soon. And just in case something happens, I want there to be no secrets. I wanted to tell you before, but Mother wanted you to see us as your true family. You really would have been raised alongside us if it weren't for King Garon."

"Your mother or mine?" Corrin asked, beginning to feel irritation.

"Kamui-" Ryoma reached out for Corrin's shoulder, but she backed away. "… I see."

The princess of now unknown origin shook her head. "Look… I get that you didn't want to keep this from me, Ryoma… In fact, part of me is glad you decided to be honest. But… I need to sort this out before I can talk to you again. Or… any of you, really."

With that, Corrin left to help Scarlet with setting up the troops. Hinoka crossed her arms.

"Huh. I knew we had different mothers, but not different fathers too…" She frowned. "But that doesn't change anything. Kamui's still one of us!"

Sakura nodded and Ryoma looked over to their brother. "… How do you feel, Takumi? You've been quiet."

He sighed. "I really wish people would stop thinking I have some hang-up with Kamui. I got over it ages ago! In fact, I was going to teach her about archery!" He looked away. "I wonder if she still wants to…"

* * *

The plan to take this fortress was fairly simple, and for once, the group would not be splitting up. It would just be forward rush. Ryoma would lead the charge, while a few of the stronger soldiers would cover the sides. They would just need to get past the guards at the gate and find the commander hiding inside the fortress.

Sakura, Hana and Jakob would stay in the center. Sakura and Jakob would heal, while Hana defended them. Azura would also stay in the center to sing for everyone. Corrin, Felicia, Kaze and Kaden would serve as the western flank, leaving Hinoka, Takumi, Mozu and Izana as the eastern flank. Scarlet would fly around, supporting whichever side needed her most at the time.

"AAH!" Takumi fell over and clutched his leg in pain. Hinoka's Pegasus flew over instantly.

"Takumi what's going on, where are you hurt?!"

"Ah… rrk! Don't worry about it… gah!" Takumi shuddered in pain.

"Takumi, your leg is bleeding!"

"Oh is it?" Takumi asked through gritted teeth. "Hadn't noticed. I can probably just walk it off."

"Takumi!"

"I'll be fine, go on with the others," Takumi waved his sister off, and she glared.

"Are you telling your big sister to leave you here, bleeding on the ground, in enemy territory? Is that what we're doing now?"

Takumi took a deep breath. "Nah it's fine, it looks worse than it feels… aah!"

"… Then stand up," Hinoka ordered. "I'm not leaving unless I see you standing."

"Well… I would, don't think I wouldn't, but… the grass is real soft, Hinoka. I just really want to appreciate it."

"So you're slacking off, then?" She was not going to leave him any quarter.

"H-hey it's- ow- important to stop and… smell the roses once… ah… once in a while!"

"Okay that's enough," Hinoka carefully picked Takumi up and carried him over to her Pegasus.

* * *

" _HeeheeHAHAHA!_ " Kaden was going to town against all the Nohrian guards, in fox form. " _Wheee!_ "

Kaze was more focused on his position in the formation, taking enemies down from a distance. But unfortunately, their armor was too thick to take out the knights. "Ugh, I always hated fighting knights and generals…"

" _Isn't this fun Kaze? It's like tag, only extreme!_ "

The ninja shook his head, sighing. "… Yeah. A whole bucket of fun." At that, Kaze stopped.

"Oh gods I'm turning into my brother."

* * *

"I shall now judge you all!" Izana called. "Everyone is _guilty!_ " The archduke waved a scroll, and a herd of oxen came out, stampeding all over several nearby enemies, handily taking care of them. "And once again, Izana saves the day!"

Mozu walked up to Izana, slightly out of breath. "Y'all are makin' this look easy…"

"So Mozu! I looked into the future and saw that it turns out Kamui isn't actually related to the other royals! How's that for a twist?"

The freckled farmer shrugged. "We all heard it, really, they weren't exactly keepin' their voices low. It doesn't really make a difference to me."

"Hmm. Guess not! But now I'm wondering why Garon was so interested in kidnapping her!" A straggler was running up to Izana, to which he nonchalantly waved the Ox Scroll again, chasing him away. "You got any fun theories?"

"No," Mozu answered bluntly. "Why're you so fixated on King Garon anyway? His monsters destroyed my village, that's all I care about."

"Yeah, but don't you want to know why? Because I've been writing a few 'fan-fictions' as the kids call them, and I think I'm close to discovering the truth!" Izana cheered. "Want to see a few?"

Mozu sighed. "I'm not reading your fan fictions."

"Oh you _will_ ," Izana said ominously.

* * *

"Man, this would be easier if that one guy didn't run off to the bathroom…" Scarlet lamented, flying around. She squinted. "Say, Kamui, was it? You don't think he's the one who leaked the information about the safe house, do you?"

"What? No, Silas would never! And what makes you think anyone would?"

"The safe house was a secret. Nobody should have known." She shrugged. "Ah whatever."

Scarlet went off to support the other flank, leaving Corrin to sigh. "Great, one more thing to worry about…"

"IT'S THE TRAITOR! KILL HER!" called some Nohrians, and Corrin squinted.

"Aaaand yet another thing. Perfect."

Corrin and Felicia fought off some incoming knights. It took a few hits more than usual to take them out, and Corrin even took a nasty hit from one of their lances before putting them down. "Ouch…"

"Ah! Hold on, milady!" Felicia frantically pulled out a Mend staff to heal, but dropped it right away. She knelt down to pick it up, but her hand kept knocking it away as she reached for it. "Oh come on…!"

An unseen outlaw took notice of Felicia and began pulling an arrow back. He fired in time for Felicia to grab the staff and stand up, moving her head out of the arrow's path.

"Found it!" She blinked. "Wait, was there an archer nearby?" She looked in the direction of the bushes, and the archer hid. The maid shrugged, forgetting the whole thing, then went to heal Corrin. "There you go, all better!"

Corrin sighed. "Thanks Felicia…"

"Huh?" Felicia irreverently slapped her hand on Corrin's forehead. Corrin was used to it, and said nothing. "Wait, you don't have a fever? Then what's wrong with you? You seem out of it. Oh! Hold that thought!"

Felicia ducked down, avoiding another arrow, then casually threw a dagger in the archer's direction. "ACK!"

"So what's up, milady?"

"I'm just thinking about what Ryoma told me. Or told everyone, since he didn't bother lowering his voice."

"Oh, about not actually being related to the Hoshidans?"

Corrin gave Felicia a stern look. "… No, about what the humidity might do for my hair- yes!" She clenched her free hand. "It's just… Now I feel worse about leaving my other siblings behind. I was going to defend Hoshido anyway, but I feel… Well, I don't know how I feel!"

"Aw geez. This is where Gunter or my sister would be more useful," Felicia admitted. "W-well… Remember to keep trying hard! Never say die!"

"… What?"

Felicia shrugged. "I don't know, that's just what Mozu said when I asked her for help once. I'm sorry Corrin!"

"It's okay, Felicia at least you're- Whoa!" Corrin ducked under an arrow. "At least you're trying. Now let's go get rid of that archer."

"OR MAYBE DON'T?" the archer yelled from his hidden position. "JUST A THOUGHT!"

* * *

Ryoma was striking down troops left and right with his lightning, business as usual. "See your death, see your death, see your death…"

Hana could barely take her eyes off him. "So cool!"

"Eh wot?" Jakob turned his attention to the female samurai.

"Lord Ryoma! Just look at him, he's so strong!" Hana gushed. "I wish I were half as incredible as that!"

"Feh. He's just waving a metal stick around. Only his is electrified," Jakob unintentionally did a good impression of Prince Leo. Hana gave him a stink-eye.

"Oh and your daggers aren't just really short swords?"

"Hmph! I feel no need to compare myself to Lord Ryoma," Jakob said. Azura took a break from singing and gave the butler a smirk.

"But Jakob, you already are."

He blushed. "Wh-what are you saying?"

"I think you know what I'm saying."

"What, just because Hana swoons over Lord Ryoma like a lovesick schoolgirl-"

"Hey!"

"-I suddenly feel threatened? Please, we're merely rivals. And we haven't known each other that long anyway."

Hana smirked. "Yeah you're not even half as amazing as Lord Ryoma anyway."

"Now you see here!" Jakob turned, giving the pointer finger to Hana. Azura grinned.

* * *

A little further ahead, Sakura had drifted away from the bickering servants and closer to Ryoma, also joined by Scarlet. Before them stood the elite fortress guards. One was yet another bulky knight, but with the face of a thug. The other was a female fighter, wearing seemingly as little armor as she could get away with.

"Ugh! Did you guys really have to invade today of all days?! I was gonna get a vacation!" the fighter bemoaned. Ryoma looked back at his younger sister, than at the fighter. "What?!"

"I'm sorry, it's just… your voice sounds a lot like hers."

"I-it does?" Sakura asked. Ryoma nodded.

"Sakura, get real angry, just for a moment. Say something crude and violent."

Sakura blinked, petrified at the idea of her brother asking her to angrily shout at him for no reason. However, the fighter seemed to be taking this much better.

"You're saying I sound like a cute little princess? Why, you're too kind! Say, are you single?" The knight cleared his throat. "Oh. Right. Not with the invaders."

"Sorry," the knight nodded his head in a show of acknowledgement. "But we can't let you pass. Rules are rules."

"Then it's time for me to show off!" Scarlet said, waving the reigns on her wyvern. The beast swooped down in time for Scarlet to wave her axe, knocking the knight into the wall, and unconscious. "Yeah! Who's next?"

"You killed Benny!" The fighter's face warped in fury. "I'm gonna tear your head off for that!"

The enemy charged toward Scarlet and swung her axe, though all she managed to hit was the wing of Scarlet's dragon. "RAAAAAAR!"

The wyvern thrashed around in pain, knocking Scarlet off.

"Do something Ryoma!" Sakura cried, growing tense. Ryoma shook his head.

"No Sakura, you have to sound angrier than that."

"RYOMA!"

"Oh, oh yeah." Ryoma casually flicked Raijinto in the woman's direction, and she was struck with lightning, taking her out of commission. "There we go."

Sakura ran over to Scarlet's wyvern and waved her festal close to its wing, attempting to undo the damage the guard's axe had caused. As this happened, all the other groups caught up to the front.

"All right. We've made it to the fort, but we still don't have control. Now, it's not a very big fort, so I think we took care of most of the guards. But we should be careful of any-"

"Oh look, Dragon's Vein." Azura pointed at a glowing patch in the grass. She stepped over and held a note with her voice. This had the effect of creating a fireball, which flew into an open window of the fortress.

"AAAAAAH! WHO DID THIS?!" cried the voice of a veritable harpy.

Azura smirked. "As you were saying, Ryoma?"

"… Let's just take care of her while we still can. C'mon!"

The Hoshidan forces ran into the fortress, leaving the defeated guards alone.

"Oww… You still alive, Benny?"

"… I think so…"

"This job sucks."

"… Yeah."

* * *

"HAHAHAHA! You'll never get past me, the great General Daniela!" The commander was a pale strategist, riding her horse indoors like several other fighters were wont to do. "Eat my fireball!"

She waved a hand, conjuring a fireball, that was avoided by all the troops. Taking only a moment, Ryoma ran up to Daniela and cut her down. "For the glory of Hoshido!"

"Noooo…!"

Daniela was defeated (or killed, no one really bothered to check), and total control of the fortress belonged to the Hoshidans.

At that point, Silas rode his horse into the room. "Hey guys, you left me behind! Oh, that reminds me…" The knight rode over to Scarlet. "Scarlet, watch out for Azura. I don't completely trust her."

Scarlet gave Silas a distrusting look of her own.

Takumi limped over to Ryoma, wincing with each step. "So Ryoma, what do we do now? Garon's gonna learn about this. I saw a forest we could hide in."

"Wait, you mean the forest by Wolfskin Peak?" Kaden asked. "… Sounds fun, let's go!"

Ryoma nodded. "That might be a good idea. King Garon will figure out what happened before long. Everyone, move out!"

"We just got in here!" Corrin complained. "Ugh…"

Everyone got ready to leave again. Hana stopped to talk to Sakura, though she made sure Jakob could hear. "Hey Lady Sakura, Ryoma sure was impressive, wasn't he? The way he easily took down the commander like that?"

Jakob tensed up.

"I guess he was… Azura helped with… with the Dragon's Vein though."

Then Jakob calmed right back down, even humming smugly. He then left earshot, as Hana shook her head. "That's not helping, Lady Sakura…"

"Please d-don't make me a part of this, Hana. If you really hate Jakob that much-"

"I don't hate him! I just… well…" She paused. "… What _do_ I think?"

* * *

The group eventually made it to the forest. Taking a walk to clear her head, Corrin eventually found Azura standing in a lake.

"Azura?"

"… Corrin."

The white-haired woman tilted her head. "Azura, why are you standing in the lake? It's a bit cold for a swim. And you're getting your dress all wet."

"Hmm. You're interested in me removing it?" she teased. Corrin's face flushed red.

"What? No! I already told you th- Hey, don't make this about me!" Corrin snapped out of it. "Why are you standing in the middle of the lake?"

"Well- WHOA!" Azura raised her right arm, noticing glowing, purple energy spreading on her arm. "I wasn't expecting it to look that bad!"

"Huh?! Why are you implying you expected a smaller version of that?!"

The singer took a deep breath, and the purple energy faded away. "Phew." She opened her eyes and saw Corrin looking on in a mixture of horror and confusion. "I guess there's no getting out of explaining this."

Corrin shook her head.

"Well before you came about, I was singing a certain song. But every time I do that, the curse hurts me a little more."

"Oh, the curse, right. Can't forget about the curse. That darn curse- What are you talking about?!"

Azura waved her hand. "Oh it's just something in my blood, don't worry about it. I was trying to exorcise a demon and it went wrong, but I'll be fine now."

"Demons huh?" Izana raised out of the water, also fully clothed, startling both the women present. "Kinda like what you did in Nestra?"

"Archduke, get out of my bath!"

Izana shrugged. "Not much of a bath if you're still wearing your dress. But you think Garon's a demon?"

"Uh… Well…"

"Hmm…" With that, Izana went right back into the water.

Corrin and Azura stared at the spot where Izana had been.

"… I think it's time we head back to camp, Corrin."

"Yeah…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a plot point I sort of teased in the first Birthright-only chapter, but now it's all out in the open.
> 
> I freaking hate the fact that Corrin isn't related to the Hoshidan family. All the marketing and pre-release hype kept playing up the fact that the Hoshidans are your blood family. But just in case the player wants to marry one of them... Outrageous. It completely undermines the premise of Birthright. But like Corrin in the chapter said, she didn't join Hoshido just for her family, she also wanted to take down Garon. But still, that is... gah. People say Conquest's story is bad? I still think it's better than the Revelation story.
> 
> On to other notes... Kaden keeps mistaking Azura for the pure forging materials from Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Meanwhile Scarlet has the same plan as Elise for beating up Garon. That's another thing- a friend and I were looking over the Izumo chapter and joked about how the Hoshidans just want to "beat up" Garon. Not even kill or dethrone him, just rough him up a little. So I worked that into Scarlet's plan.
> 
> Also, I wanted a moment to show Ryoma congratulating Hinoka for taking charge of the army while he was gone. She hardly has any screentime in Birthright compared to her siblings, and even then she defers to Corrin for some reason. As the second-oldest, I'd think Hinoka would be in charge of the army. So for the last few chapters, I've been demonstrating that Hinoka was the leader. But now it's over, and everyone's still alive, so Ryoma congratulated her for it (with a small, but optimistic reference to her Conquest ending).
> 
> I tried to give Felicia a bit more attention, while Izana's still trying to figure out what's going on with Garon. Also I inserted Hinoka and Takumi's support conversation- but this time it's comedic. Takumi still insists that he doesn't need help, but he's a lot more casual about it. Also Hana fangirling over Ryoma, then trolling Jakob about it. Also a joke about how Brianna Knickerbocker hardly changes her voice between Sakura and Charlotte.
> 
> Overall I think this was a good stepping stone chapter for the rest of the story to come. The next chapter is the one where Kaze either lives or dies. What do you think will happen?


	10. Beatin' Keaton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin tries to work through her family-identity issues while narcissistic wolf men attack her army.

Mt. Garou (or 'Wolfskin Peak' as it had come to be known by locals) was a rather imposing figure on Nohr's horizon. Yet the Hoshidans had no choice but to scale the beast, if they had any hope of getting further into Nohr.

Kaze gave a small smile. "Hmm. I have a good feeling about tonight."

**_Kaaaze…_ **

"Huh?" The ninja looked around.

Silas was there, shrugging. "I didn't say anything."

**_KAAAAAZE!_ **

"Hmm… I don't think I like the sound of the wind…" Kaze eyed the sky nervously.

**_KAZE WILL DIIIIIIIE!_ **

Kaze blinked.

"… Nope, definitely don't like the sound of that."

* * *

Corrin was sitting on a tree stump, lost in thought. And she felt alone. At least, until Lilith flew out and settled on her lap.

"What's wrong, milady?"

She sighed. "I'm still thinking about what Ryoma said. Now I'm just really wondering who I am. I'm not related to my Nohrian family, and not my Hoshidan family either? Am I related to _anyone?!_ "

Lilith would sweat if she were still human.

"I don't know, Lilith… Is it even a big deal, really? Ugh… families are hard!"

Elsewhere, Ryoma stood by a tree, and showed no surprise when Saizo arrived.

"What's going on, Saizo?"

"Nohrians are blocking all possible paths to the castle."

Ryoma snapped his fingers. "Those fiends! This will be tricky."

"Hey we can ditch Kamui now, right?"

"What? No!" Ryoma folded his arms. "Why would you even ask that?!"

"Well I mean, I didn't trust her, on account of her Nohrian…ness. And now that she's not even affiliated with the royal family, I kind of figured…"

"As far as I care, she still is. Now, let's get ready to climb the mountain. There aren't any soldiers, so what's the worst that could happen?"

Saizo merely shrugged.

* * *

"C'mon, boy, you can make it! Who's a good horse? Who's a good horse?" Silas was cheering his steed on, as it attempted to climb the mountain. Mozu sat behind him, and frowned.

"Silas, I don't like the way you're treating the horse."

"He just needs some motivation, he'll be fine. Isn't that right, horse?"

The mount in question whinnied in pain before toppling over.

"Whoa!"

"Oof!"

Izana floated by, riding an energy dragon like a hammock. "So long, suckers!"

Corrin herself was having difficulties with the climb.

"Ugh… and I thought the Everlasting Stairs or whatever were awful…" She stopped and looked up ahead. "Not even halfway up the slope…"

Hinoka and her Pegasus were up ahead, but the princess caught sight of Corrin. Quickly, she directed her horse to fly down to Corrin's position. "Hey Kamui, uh…" She had not spoken to Corrin since before the reveal. "Do you need a ride?"

"… No…" Corrin resumed her trek, losing her breath. "I don't… want to be… more of a burden… on you."

Hinoka's eyes widened. "Huh?! Kamui, you were never-"

"Ahem." Hinoka was startled by the sudden appearance of Jakob. "I'm sorry, but Lady Corrin has asked me to keep you and the rest from speaking to her."

"Rrrg… It's not like I knew the secret or anything! And her name is Kamui!"

Jakob shrugged. "Not my problem."

"Ugh! How does she even put up with you?!"

"Simple," Jakob gave a pleasant smile. "Lady Corrin is my liege. Therefore, she has my undivided devotion."

The Sky Knight shook her head as she prepared to fly back up. "And here I thought my Sakura's retainer had your devotion."

"H-hey!" But Jakob's flustered rebuttal went ignored, Hinoka had already left.

Further up the hill, Oboro was walking beside Takumi. "Lord Stud McCool-"

"Don't you start!"

"How did archery with Kamui go? You seem upset." Her face transformed into an awful glare. "If she did anything to upset you, just say the word-"

"We didn't _have_ training, Oboro." He sighed. "We were finally getting along, and Ryoma had to go and ruin it…"

* * *

Eventually, the army had finally reached the top of the mountain. Everyone was tired, Oboro even fell onto the ground to rest. Though there were two exceptions…

"Woo! Yeah! We made it!" Scarlet cheered. "Victory dance!"

"I was born ready!" Izana ran up to Scarlet. "Who starts, you or me?"

"Hey, what's going on?" a new voice asked. Everyone looked over and found some sharp-dressed men. Most wore red hoods, but the apparent leader did without. His hair was black, with a generous white streak. And all of these men had bushy tails and animal ears. "Well? What? Ya find any good trash or something? Or the Bone Hole? I miss that place…"

Izana chuckled. "Heh! He said 'miss.'"

Sakura was shivering. "T-Takumi who are these monsters?!"

"What? How should I know?!"

"Y-you're always hunting!"

"What, so I know all about _Nohr's_ wild creatures now?" Takumi rolled his eyes. Sakura's eyes began to water.

"I'm sorry Takumi!"

"Uh, I mean- oh don't cry!"

Silas looked around excitedly. "All right! I can say something important!" He cleared his throat. "These guys are Wolfskins. They're pretty much Nohrian Kitsune. Only they're wolves instead of foxes."

The leading Wolfskin folded his arms. "Yeah. And I'm Keaton. I'm better than all of you, you just don't know it yet." His eyes went fierce. "And don't try to poach us for our fur, or else we'll eat you!"

Corrin gasped. "You eat people?! But you look so much like a people! … Person. So much like a person. Ugh, I'm forgetting Nohrian language…"

The wolfman's face flushed red. "W-well it's not like they were tasty or anything! … Baka."

"That's our word," Takumi pointed out. "And we don't even want your fur!"

"I kind of want his fur," Izana said.

"I SAID WE DON'T WANT YOUR FUR!"

Keaton actually looked offended at that. "What, my fur's not good enough for you?! Is that it?! What's that ratty old pelt you've got draped over your butt? Bet it's not half as soft as my fur!"

Oboro stood right back up from her resting position and pointed at Keaton. "Now you listen here, you… admittedly fashionable flea motel! Lord Takumi is the pinnacle of archer fashion! I designed his clothes myself!"

"Grrr, boss, they're taunting us!" one of the other Wolfskins declared. Keaton nodded.

"Yeah. They think they're too good for us! They want to be martyrs and convince us they don't even want our fur! Of course they do! And since they know that and we know that, it means we're back to square one! Meaning, they want our fur! And are we gonna let them take it?!"

"NO SIR!" the two Wolfksins cried.

"That's what I like to hear!" Keaton pointed a finger at the Hoshidans. "We're not letting you get away with this, Hoshidans! You and your mind powers, trying to make us think you don't want our fur!"

Azura blinked. "… Is this really happening?"

"Oh you'd better believe it, lady!" Keaton immediately howled. "Ha! I just told all the best fighters in our den to get ready for combat! We'll be seeing you!"

With that, Keaton and his lackeys ran off. Everyone just stayed and contemplated the events that had just happened.

Silas nodded. "I like the cut of his jib."

* * *

Trying to navigate the forest and evade the Wolfskins proved difficult for the Hoshidans. Just like in Mokushu, the forest had split everyone into smaller groups.

"Okay, we have to stop going into forests," Kaze said. "They're clearly our worst weakness."

"Rrgh!" Saizo was sitting by a tree, his arm bleeding out.

"Gah! Saizo! When did you get hurt?!"

"I'm a ninja, Brother. Even when I get grievously wounded, it's done in secret."

Kaze sighed. "Hold on. Felicia was following us. She should be able to heal you."

"NO!"

"Hm?"

"Don't let that woman anywhere near me, Kaze…"

The younger twin shook his head. "Saizo, now is _not_ the time to be prejudiced."

"It's not that," Saizo said. "Okay, it's a little bit of that. But more importantly, she's a horrible maid! I wouldn't put it past her to accidentally poison me."

"Oh stop being dramatic."

"You think she wouldn't?!" Saizo's injured right eye opened, revealing its stark whiteness. "Remember when she set the kitchen on fire? Or how half the army's clothes had holes in them after she did the laundry?"

"Well…"

"She's a menace! Honestly, bad enough we have to keep Kamui and Azura around, but Felicia too? I don't even know what Kamui and that butler see in her!"

A sniffle took both ninja out of their conversation. Felicia had caught up to them. Kaze winced. "Oh, see what you do, Saizo?!" He stepped closer to the maid. "Felicia, don't worry, Saizo is always kind of-"

"He's a jerkface!"

"You can't even see my face!" Saizo countered.

Felicia ran past them, sniffling as the air got colder. She dropped the Mend staff she was dragging behind herself. Kaze walked over to pick it up, sighing.

"Real mature of you, Saizo."

"I didn't even notice her showing up. Hmm, she might have some value as a ninja…"

Kaze hung his head back. "You have a problem!"

* * *

"Back! Back you beasts!" Silas was fending off some Wolfskins with a naginata.

"Silas you took my naginata," Mozu said.

"Not now, Mozu! I'm saving us!"

"Grrr! Take my fur! No wait, don't take it! … But at least try to take it!"

"I said back!"

Scarlet and Sakura were watching from a distance. Normally, they would rush in to help… but it was Silas.

"I don't trust him," Scarlet told Sakura. "He just seems a little too airheaded. He's faking."

The shrine maiden nervously shook her head. "No I think it's real. But I think he just has brain d-damage."

"Brain damage?"

"First it was because he insisted that he knew Kamui, but she'd forgotten him. After that… well, his behavior just makes more sense when you s-see it like that."

Scarlet put a finger to her chin. "I'unno. I think he's up to something."

Silas successfully fought off the Wolfskin.

"Aha! Now we can breathe easy, Mozu."

The freckled farmer blinked. "… My hero."

* * *

Azura was keeping pace with Corrin as they walked through the woods.

"I think Hinoka's trying to tell you something."

"I told Jakob to keep her busy."

Azura sighed. "You can't keep ignoring them."

"I'm not trying to ignore them! I just… I just want to know who I am now! But between the fortress, the mountain, and now these wolf men-" a Wolfskin lunged for Corrin, but she sidestepped- "I haven't had time to think! And don't think I forgot about your curse!"

The singer rolled her eyes. "What are you, my mother? I told you I'll be fine."

"Kamui!"

Hinoka and her horse landed right next to the albino princess, much to the latter's dismay. "Kamui, we're settling this!"

"Fine! I want it to be settled!" Corrin claimed, followed with a sigh. "Look. As much as it hurts you, I loved Xander, Camilla, Leo and Elise. And I still do! I know it wasn't your fault, but they were family to me. And I turned my back on them!" She gritted her teeth. "I turned my back on them because I couldn't stand King Garon's cruelty. But… I also wanted to get to know my blood family." She hung her head in defeat. "But it turns out my only blood family already died in my arms."

Hinoka glared. "So what if we're not related by blood?! You're still my little sister! I became a Sky Knight to save you from Nohr, and I'd do it again!"

The songstress nodded. "Yeah Corrin. You at least have a family, what about me?"

"Ugh!" Hinoka's frustration took Azura by surprise. "Stop saying we don't care about you! For your information…" The princess cleared her throat. "You were born on March 3rd. You're a restless sleeper. You sometimes practice a naginata because you saw me doing it when we were younger, but were too nervous to tell me- by the way that's awesome! Ahem… Your favorite scary story is the one about a man saving his brother from the haunted house. The only time you're ever actually mad is when someone makes fun of your singing. One time the servants thought you were a ghost in the hallway, but you never bothered to explain yourself. Your-"

"Okay, I get it, you know things about me."

"Because I care! We all do! You know Ryoma and Sakura are always bugging you to talk with them! Even Takumi told me he wanted to spend more time with you lately!" She frowned. "You're both my sisters just as much as Sakura is! Kamui, you should know us by now, do we seem like the kind of people who'd stop caring about you if we knew the truth?"

"No… That wasn't it," Corrin said. "It's just…" She sighed. "Well, what would you think if you just found out that you weren't the person you thought you were?" She glared. "Because it happened to me _twice!_ Every time I get comfortable with myself, it turns out I'm a different person than I thought! First I'm the Second Princess of Nohr. No wait! I'm the Second Princess of Hoshido! _No wait!_ I'm just a little girl Mikoto dragged with her from who-knows-where!"

Corrin started feeling a headache, and clutched her head. "Gah! Was she even my mother?! What if I was just some child she found one day?!" Corrin looked up to face Hinoka, now with tears streaming down her face. "I don't know who I am anymore…"

She shuddered, frustrated in herself for starting to cry. The young woman shut her eyes tight, and was surprised when she felt Hinoka's arms around her shoulders.

"You're my sister."

Azura spoke up. "Corrin. Take it from someone who's also been a princess of two kingdoms: It's not important where you come from. It's in the past. Maybe that's easy for me to say since I hate my past, but in the present we're here on Mt. Garou. You're here with a family that loves you…" She turned her head down. "And I guess they love me too…"

"… You're right," Corrin conceded. She squirmed out of Hinoka's embrace in order to grab Azura and include her. "You're both right. Thanks for talking some sense into me."

The Wolfskin who had previously lunged at Corrin watched, wiping tears from his eyes.

"That was beautiful…" He sniffed. "Almost makes me forget that they're supposed to be poaching me."

Jakob ran up to the scene, out of breath.

"Ugh… phew… Apologies, Lady Corrin… The Hoshidan princess has a Pegasus… and I do not…"

The group hug ended, and Corrin faced her butler.

"It's okay, Jakob. Everything's good now. I know who I am and what my place is."

The butler nodded. "Very well. If you are pleased, I am pleased, Lady Corrin."

Nodding, she turned to her sisters. "Let's get off this mountain. Oh, and Jakob…"

"Yes?"

"… Call me 'Kamui.'"

* * *

"This is insane!" Oboro cried. She and Takumi were back-to-back, fighting off giant, bipedal wolf monsters.

"The Wolfskins sure are proud of their fur…" Takumi fired an arrow, hitting one of the beasts and making it revert to humanoid form. The offender whimpered and ran off.

Izana was standing in place, seemingly unaware of a Wolfskin approaching from behind. Oboro, however, seemed to notice.

"Archduke Izana, there's one behind you!"

"Eh I figured. But I've been theorizing. What if there is some alternate timeline," Izana began, "and what if, in that timeline, you die? But that's also the happiest of all reachable timelines? I'm not saying my death would be connected to that happiness, but you never know…"

Takumi glared. "Why are you thinking about this now?!"

"Oh just Izana thoughts!" the archduke dismissed. Takumi was not convinced, but did not press the issue. Instead, he simply aimed Fujin at the wolf behind Izana. "Also I'm buddies with a sharpshooter! I can count on you to take out any unsightly wolves!"

"Or you could actually help!" Oboro shouted.

"Oh don't worry, I read the future, I know I'm getting off this mountain alive, so I can take it easy!" He sat down and started meditating. "Hmm… Hey Takumi, you might want to be careful around the next Wolfskin you fight."

"Whatever."

* * *

"Huh. Now I'm alone. That's odd," Ryoma commented.

" _Arooooo!_ " Keaton's nasally bellow echoed through the grove. Ryoma turned around, but instead of Keaton, he was facing another giant wolf monster.

"… Keaton, I presume?"

" _Yep. AKA, the last thing you'll see!_ " The beast took a swing at Ryoma, but the samurai flipped away from the danger and drew Raijinto. " _Hold still, meat! I still gotta preemptively kill you before you realize you want my fur!_ "

"Hmph! Your story's falling apart. First we're tricking you into thinking we don't want your fur. Now we have yet to realize we want it? If you wanted an excuse to hunt us, at least be forward!"

" _Hey, we can't help that our fur is irresistible!_ " Keaton's beast form got down on all fours. " _Go on, feel it! It's soft! I won't even bite you, free pet!_ " He raised his head. " _Okay I might bite a little._ "

"Ha!"

Ryoma swung Raijinto, and a lightning bolt hit the Wolfskin dead on.

" _Awoooo!_ "

In pain, Keaton reverted to his human form. "Aaah… Humans… don't know when to quit…"

Ryoma smirked. "That's my specialty, actually."

"Well I have a secret weapon! I knew that picking up random objects would come in handy!" Keaton stood up and pulled out a special bauble. "It's called a Master Seal! I've been saving it for a rainy day!" He held the seal up high and howled. A sacred, blinding light showered him.

"Gah! You fiend!" When Ryoma could see again, Keaton looked hardly any different. His white shirt was replaced with a red one. "Um… Is that it?"

"No…" Keaton smirked and transformed into his beast mode again. It was even more monstrous than before, with patches of red fur. " _Now it is!_ " He quickly grabbed Ryoma with both hands before the samurai could do anything. " _All right, I wonder what Hoshidan tastes like!_ "

" **LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!** "

Keaton and Ryoma looked over and saw a stampeding dragon headed right for them.

" _Uh-oh._ "

The dragon rushed right for Keaton and pounded him with her front legs. The Wolfssegner recoiled in pain and dropped Ryoma. Then she whipped her tail around, knocking Keaton to the ground, and unleashed a mighty roar of water, blasting Keaton far away.

" _You'll be after my fur somedaaaaaay!_ " were Keaton's parting words.

" **Phew…** " The battle was won, and the dragon took this chance to revert to her own humanoid form.

Ryoma walked up to his sister. "Thank you, Kamui. I'd hate to imagine what that… man? Animal? Whatever, I'm glad he didn't eat me."

Kamui smiled.

"Don't worry about it."

* * *

As it turned out, several of the straggling Wolfskins caught Kamui's battle with Keaton. Intimidated by her power, they all backed off. This freed the Hoshidans to catch their breaths, albeit with one eye open.

Kamui herself stood by a cliff, as Kaze walked up next to her.

"Piece of gold for your thoughts?"

"… Wolfskins are weird."

Kaze shrugged. "Well they are different than humans. What's normal to us might be weird for them."

_CRASH!_

Suddenly, the ground fell out from under Kamui. She gasped and tried to get to solid land, but failed. Only with Kaze's quick response was the princess spared an untimely demise. But now they had the problem of Kaze struggling to hold onto the princess.

"Grr… heavy…"

Kamui blushed. "Okay I admit it; I might've been eating more than usual…"

"Not… that! Ugh…"

They hung there for a while.

"Well, just in case we die, I should probably reveal a secret of my own."

Kamui rolled her eyes. "Just how many of you guys are holding something back from me?!"

"Well in this case, I actually went with you and the others to Cheve. But…" Kaze winced, and then sighed. "I saw the Nohrian spies and didn't say anything. So we walked into their ambush."

"What?!"

"I didn't know they were suspicious! I'd never seen a Nohrian before! But yeah, your entire life's path might be sort of my fault."

There was a moment of silence between the two.

"… Well thank you for telling me, Kaze. But you were a kid, weren't you?"

"Eh, preteen."

"So a kid then."

"Well if you want to take away what dignity I had!"

"You never have dignity, Kaze! You're always trying to be humble and self-blaming!"

Kaze was about to counter, but fell short. "… Okay, you got me there."

Then, as though the weight were too much, Kaze slipped off the cliff as well.

"Whooooa!"

"AAAH!"

The two fell for a short distance, before Kaze was able to grab onto a small branch. Unfortunately, this kept the two of them suspended over a chasm. "… Definitely thinking I should've listened to that ominous wind earlier."

"Kaze… Let me go."

"I'm not letting you be a martyr, milady."

"No, nothing like that!" Kamui scanned her surroundings. "I just thought that maybe I could try turning into a dragon and flying!"

"Can you even fly as a dragon?"

"I… was going to get around to testing that…"

"Kamui! Kaze!" Hinoka's voice cut through the air. The two looked over and saw the Sky Knight herself, flying right toward them. "Hang in there!"

The ninja rolled his eyes. "Like I have a choice?" The ground shook. "Oh boy. … Hey Lady Kamui, how do you feel about flying as a human?"

"What are-"

"HERE YOU GO!"

With all the strength he could muster, Kaze flung Kamui into the air, toward Hinoka.

"Aaaah! Kaze, what are you doing?!"

"Aah! I've got you, Kamui!" Hinoka held out her arms and actually managed to catch her sister. "Kaze, you're next!"

The cliff shook again, and Kaze winced. "… Well that figures."

With that, the cliff crumbled and Kaze fell into the abyss. Hinoka tried to have her horse follow, but between the falling rocks and trying to carry her sister, it was impossible. Kaze was gone.

* * *

At dawn the next day, Kamui was sitting on a plateau on the downward slope. This time, she was much further from the edge, and Hinoka was there with her.

"… Hinoka? Kamui?"

The princesses looked back and saw Ryoma joining them. "Still waiting for him to come back?"

Kamui sighed. "Kaze always comes back! I mean, is falling down a cliff really worse than some of the hits I've seen him take?"

"He might've survived, who really knows?" Ryoma shrugged. "But there's something else. Azura and I were talking. I don't believe I properly apologized for before." The samurai walked over and sat down by Kamui, on the side opposite Hinoka. "Kamui… I apologize for lying to you all this time. I thought I was honoring Father's wishes, but… to hear the stress it put you through…"

"It's in the past, Ryoma…" Kamui said, her voice was tired from waiting all night. "All we have is what's ahead of us…"

Ryoma looked ahead. To his surprise, the Nohrian landscape did not look like a nightmarish wasteland. Rather, it was a normal countryside. Forests, hills and mountains. He then looked over and caught the thousand-yard stare his stepsister had adopted, as did Hinoka.

"… Kamui, I think it's time we get going. If Kaze's out there, he'll find a way back." Hinoka told her. "He's kind of like a dog that way."

The half-dragon closed her eyes, tiredly. "I guess you're right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm more proud of the chapter title than I should be.
> 
> And thus we resolve Corrin's family issues with the Hoshidans. Symbolic of that, she's now referred to as Kamui. While I prefer her English name, I felt that it was time for her to accept her Hoshidan identity (at least in this story). Apologies if usage of the name bugs you, but it's staying. I was originally going to do that four chapters ago, but this seems like a more appropriate time. I might slip and narrate her as 'Corrin' a few times, but hey.
> 
> Sorry if the chapter wasn't too funny, but I thought it was important to address Corrin's issue. In the meantime, I completely changed Keaton's reason for fighting. In the game, he thinks you're trying to poach him. In this... he wants you to try poaching him. Keaton's kind of emotionally needy. (Fun fact, while there are no children in the story, I once planned for a cub version of Velouria to appear, but scrapped it.)
> 
> As for Kaze... He might be dead, or he might not. I did write an epilogue to the chapter about Keaton pestering Kaze with a game of I Spy (and spying Kaze over and over), but I removed that scene, so I'm leaving it open to interpretation. For now. I'll say that Keaton definitely survived though, all he did was get washed away by some water.
> 
> In the next chapter, we'll reunite with one of Corrin's favorite people.


	11. Medicine Mayhem (Storm)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takumi gets sick. Fortunately, the Hoshidans are close to Macarath, and Flora is there to help. Unfortunately, Iago is also there and wants to make life hard.

"Your mmmmmmmajesty," Iago drawled.

"What is it ya danged hippie?!" King Garon looked up from reading a newspaper.

"It appears those mmmmmiserable Hoshidans have crossed Wolfskin Peak. Shall I devise a trap for them?"

The harsh king stared at his servant. "…Answer that one for me, Iago."

Iago's eyes darted about the room nervously. "Ummmm... w-well I suppose I should… Yes, yes, I will be doing that!"

"Good. Now leave me alone! I gotta figure out what Calvin's transmogrifying himself into this time." He put the newspaper up. "Hmph. Danged Iago. Never did like him."

"Um, I'm still here."

"Yeah so?!"

* * *

"Gaah!" Takumi fell over, interrupting the Hoshidans' march through an empty town. "Ugh… head… burning…"

Sakura bolted over to her brother's side and waved a festal over him. Though she was overzealous in her movements, and was merely just hitting him with the rod over and over.

"Gah! Ah! Stop! Oh! Aah!"

"Takumi, stay with us!" Kamui called, giving her servants a signal to go help Sakura. "What's wrong?!"

Izana shrugged. "I told him to be more careful around the Wolfskins. Ah well!"

"Great… so it's my fault… figures…" the sick Takumi said.

Jakob nodded. "Hmm, yes. Takumi is quite sick. He's come down with a case of _Pelican's Revenge._ "

Everyone just stared for a second.

"… I'm sorry, what?" Kamui asked.

"I do not know. But it's fatal unless treated quickly," Jakob explained.

"GET BETTER, TAKUMI!" Sakura shrieked, still whacking him with the festal.

Then Mozu spoke up. "So it can be treated? How?"

Subaki was in the rotation today, and stepped forth heroically. "I shall devise a medicine for Lord Takumi! We are in Macarath after all, so there should be a place we can get some."

"H-hey I can do that too!" Oh and Hayato was there.

Takumi strained to keep his eyes open. "Ugh… can't Azura… just sing for me?"

"What, you think my song is some kind of miracle cure? That it can do anything?"

"Yes!" everyone answered in unison.

"…You people." She walked off, shaking her head.

* * *

The army made it to Palace Macarath. Silas looked back to his passenger.

"Hey buddy, how you holding up?"

"Uuuuuuuuugh…" Takumi's head was bobbing up and down.

"Is that a good 'ugh' or a bad one?"

"UUUUUUGH."

"Okay, okay! I know you're sick, but you don't have to take it out on me!"

"Ugh."

Kamui winced. "…Jakob, Felicia, why don't you guys stay with Takumi and Silas? I… don't know if I trust him."

"Because he's a threat?!" Scarlet chimed in.

"No, because he's… Silas. And don't butt into my conversation!"

Subaki and his Pegasus came in from a further position and greeted the other royals. "I've scouted the palace, and it appears mostly deserted. There was just one person there. Actually, she looked a lot like Felicia."

"Huh. That's interesting," Ryoma observed. "Well even if she is Nohrian, I doubt she'd do anything to us. Might not even want to. Not all Nohrians are soldiers."

"That's how they get ya!" Hinoka was not convinced. "Their servant-types are just like our ninja! Just look at Kamui's friends!"

"That reminds me," started Subaki, "when I said she looked like Felicia, I didn't just mean being a maid. They didn't look exactly alike, but they had quite a few similar features."

Kamui looked over. "Hey, Jakob, Felicia… Is it just me, or is he describing-"

"Felicia? Lady Corrin? Jakob?!"

Felicia shook her head. "No, it doesn't sound like he's describing us, but-" Jakob grabbed Felicia's head and turned it to face the voice that had called their own names. "Flora?!"

Everyone looked over and saw a maid with icy blue hair. It was indeed Flora.

"What are all of you doing here?" the newcomer asked.

"Takumi has Pelican's Revenge!" Felicia explained as if it were nothing. Her sister blinked.

"…What?"

Jakob cleared his throat. "We need some medicine, Flora. One of the gentlemen we've been traveling with has contracted a disease from the Wolfskin."

Flora looked over. "…Is that Prince Takumi? And… and Prince Ryoma… and the princesses of…" She sighed. "So you two really did follow Lady Corrin into Hoshido."

"I-is that a problem?" Felicia asked with a wince.

The older twin looked around and took a deep breath. "Follow me, I'll show you where to find the medicine."

"Hey I could make medicine, y'know!" Hayato had everyone's attention. "I just… don't have any ingredients."

* * *

Flora led the army through the deserted palace, with Felicia talking her ear off the whole time. But instead of calm indifference, Flora was actually happy about it.

"…and that's when went to see an opera! But instead of an opera, it was just Azura playing a prank on King Garon!"

"Hmhm. Sounds like you've done a lot." Flora's smile disappeared. "As for me, they reassigned me to Castle Krakenburg, before moving me out here."

"All by yourself?" Kamui asked.

"…Yes." Flora looked around nervously as she walked. "So... Felicia's told me about herself. But what have you been up to, Lady Corrin? Jakob?"

"Milady wishes to be known as 'Lady Kamui' now," Jakob said. "Please refer to her as such." Kamui gave him a look.

"…You know, you had a hard time adjusting to that, Jakob."

The butler winced. "My apologies, Lady Coo-amui! Coamui… Kyawm… Kamui."

She sighed. "Just call me 'Corrin' again."

"I'll get the hang of it, milady!"

"Ooh! You can call you Foxy McCool!" Felicia suggested. "Then you and Takumi can be a matching set!"

"Uuuuuugh."

"ANYWAY!" Kamui tried to save the conversation. "Jakob was with Felicia when she found me, and they've been at my side since. And me… I've been really connecting with my family. I still miss Xander and the rest, but I had to do the right thing."

"…I know what you mean, Lady Corrin," Flora stated. "The medicine stock shouldn't be much further. And don't worry about me sneaking some medicine out, no one will notice."

"But I mmmmmmmight!" Iago suddenly teleported into the room. "Felicia, for shame, helping these intruders.

"Why are you singling me out?!" Felicia asked, flustered. Her sister sighed.

"I think he was referring to me."

Iago flashed his signature dirt-eating grin. "Why, I believe this is the perfect place to mmmmmmark your tomb. Hoshidan filth. But first…" Iago opened a tome. "Ginnungagap!"

"You hurt your what?" Silas asked.

A magic spell hit Flora, knocking her to the ground. "Aaah!" She winced in pain, and then noticed the carpet. "And worse, the carpet's dirty! Was someone tracking mud in here?!"

Scarlet whistled innocently and stood behind Sakura.

"By the way," Iago was still grinning, "there's a traitor in your mmmmmmmidst."

"Is it Azura?!" Silas barked.

"No."

"I bet it is! Also did you ever tell my parents how I'm doing?"

Flora stood back up. "Iago… get out! You're giving me more work, stinking up the place." She gave him a cocky smirk. "And what would Garon say if he knew his mage destroyed his private villa?"

Iago paused for a moment, stroking his chin. "Huh… Well, he would probably spit and mmmiss his spittoon. Then he would likely shout, calling someone 'danged'. Either mmmyself or the Hoshidans. Then he'd grumble for a few hours." He blinked. "Yeah okay instead of a fight… I'll just go burn all the potions! SO LONG, SUCKERS!"

Iago teleported away, and Ryoma glared. "That fiend! Hurry, we must go after him!"

As most of the soldiers ran ahead, Kamui stayed behind. "We'll find it if we keep going down this hall, right?"

Flora nodded. "Yes. And don't worry about your brother. I'll stay here with Jakob and Felicia. It'll be like old times."

"Thanks..." Out of nowhere, Kamui hugged Flora. "I missed you."

"I… missed you too, Lady Corrin," Flora said, yet she did not return the gesture.

Kamui let go and ran off after the others. "Hang on, Takumi!"

"Uuuuugh."

Takumi and Silas were left behind with Kamui's servants, now including Flora. The knight smiled. "So remember me, Flora?"

"Uh… No."

"He's not worth remembering," Jakob said.

"Hey!"

While everyone else was talking, Takumi fell off Silas' horse.

* * *

"Aha! I shall be the first one to reach that sorcerer, and then he'll be sorry!" Subaki boasted, his horse flying through the halls.

"Make way, coming through!" Hinoka was also riding her Pegasus, and gaining on Subaki. "Subaki, you see 'im yet?"

"No I do not. But I will be the first! Even if he were invisible, I could see him. I have special eyes."

"Ugh, you haven't changed a bit."

"But I do!"

Ryoma, sprinting through the palace halls, ran up to keep pace with the Pegasi. "Good evening, Hinoka. Subaki."

"Lord Ryoma, I had no idea you were that fast! You must tell me how I too can become that fast!"

The samurai nodded. "Well it's a short and simple trick. I'll tell you now. You see, one day when I was training, I had come to realize that for all my fighting prowess, I could not run for long distances without winding myself. This presented a problem, as I had every intention of becoming a warrior to defend my homeland. I believe the final straw was when I overheard Yukimura telling Mother-"

"Not this again!" Hinoka groaned. "Just tell him, Ryoma!"

"Oh. Well you see-" Then Ryoma tripped, falling far behind the two riders. Subaki sighed.

"I suppose I will have to figure it out on my own."

* * *

Hayato and Mozu were lagging behind Ryoma and the others by a mile. "Hey Mozu, are you nervous? I mean, you're all wrapped up in this war, aren't you?"

"I just kinda take it in stride, to be honest."

"O-oh? Well if you do feel scared, I can make a charm to fix that for you!"

Mozu did not look at Hayato. "Thanks, I reckon. But I don't need it. I'm more scared Silas will get himself killed."

"You two spend a lot of time together."

"Yeah he mostly just follows me," Mozu explained, followed with a shrug. "I guess he's all right."

"Greetings, party people!" Izana called out, and the farmer sighed.

"And here's the other guy what keeps followin' me."

The archduke was riding atop an ox from his Ox Scroll. "Wassup guys! Tsukuyomi, why aren't you riding on an ox? C'mon man! Live a little! Use your power for fun!"

Hayato raised his eyebrow as Izana passed him and Mozu. "My name is Hayato! Where'd you even get that other name?"

"Details-seashells! C'mon let's have an ox race!"

"You're on!" Hayato pulled out an Ox Scroll and waved it around, summoning an energy ox. He quickly hopped on its back. "Quickly! We have to beat Izana! Oh and something about that one dark mage?"

Hayato's spirit animal raced away, and thus Mozu was left in the dust.

"… Typical magic folks."

* * *

Scarlet was jogging through the halls, and hating every second of it. "Gods… dang it… why didn't… I bring my wyvern?!"

Kamui, further back, was galloping down the hall as her dragon self. Sakura was riding on her back, arms wrapped around her neck.

"I'm sorry I can't run fast!"

" **Don't worry about it!** " Kamui reassured. " **I'm sorry that I can't fly, or else we'd be there faster!** "

As they passed Scarlet, the Wyvern Lord looked longingly, still jogging. "Wait… take me with you…!" She promptly slowed and collapsed. "Eh I'm sure Ryoma or someone can get there first."

Back with Kamui, she ran through a wall and into a storage room of sorts.

"Aaah!"

" **Sorry Sakura!** " The dragon craned her neck around. " **I wonder if this is the medicine room…** "

The younger princess let go of her dragon sister and walked over to a chest, opening it. "M-Master Seals! These can make us stronger!"

" **Hmm. I've heard Iago's pretty tough. That might be a good idea. Let's grab a few.** "

* * *

Silas had Takumi propped up against a wall. "Feeling better, bud?"

"Ugh… hot…"

"Whoa! Thanks for the compliment, but I'm not into that," Silas waved his hands. "I'm sure you could find someone, though!"

"Id…iot…"

Jakob walked up to the two of them with an ice pack. "Hmph. No argument there."

"You are just horrible today, Jakob!" Silas turned to the butler, whom ignored him in favor of treating Takumi.

"He's like that every day, Silas," Felicia reminded him.

Flora sighed. "Silas always was a little naïve. Small wonder he and Lady Corrin got along as they did." She looked over and saw Lilith's dragon form hovering over Silas, Jakob and Takumi. "I still can't believe Lilith's actually a dragon."

The pink-haired maid shrugged. "Yeah Lilith was always kind of secretive. She still mostly only talks to Lady Corrin. Just like before."

Jakob looked over. "So Flora, do you intend to stay here after we all leave?"

"Hmm. Well, I did have an idea. The Ice Tribe has been thinking of rebelling for a while now. I heard the Cheve rebellion managed to get off the ground."

Felicia nodded. "Oh yeah, that's where we met Scarlet!"

"Really? Well in that case, what if I took you to the Ice Tribe?"

"Yay, then we can see Father again!" Flora winced, but her sister did not catch it. Though she did catch something else. "Wait, our tribe's rebelling? What for?"

Jakob took it upon himself to answer. "Well there is the fact that Garon's men abducted the chieftain's twin daughters and forced them to serve Lady Corrin." Jakob then took a closer look at the ice pack. "Oh dear, this ice pack is already melting. Would one of you refreeze it for me?"

"Wait what?!" Felicia's eyes nearly bugged out. "Is that what happened, Flora?!"

She could hide it no longer. Flora shut her eyes and nodded. "Yes… I mean, I wouldn't have been so blasé about it like Jakob, but…"

"Oh… Well, it's like Lady Kamui's been saying lately: it's in the past. And I liked serving her, so I don't mind!" Felicia smiled, but then looked contemplative. "She really has only been saying it lately. Wonder where it came from…"

…

Azura wandered the streets of Macarath.

"Uh, guys? Where'd you all go?"

* * *

"Gotcha!" Hinoka finally caught up with Iago at the end of the palace.

"How mmmmeddlesome you are!"

"Stop finding excuses to drag out your M sounds!"

Subaki flew up. "Curses! I've been beaten to the punch!"

Then Hayato came in, riding an energy ox. "Hahaha! Take that, Izana!"

Izana was pouting as his ox slowly stepped along. "Phooey! I want a better spirit animal!"

A purple man in a go-kart came in after Izana. "Waa! Cheaters! Everybody cheating but Waluigi!"

"Curses! Mmmmore of you worms!" Iago muttered. "But I have an ace up these sleeves! Or… am I wearing sleeves? What even _is_ this outfit?" He glanced down at his clothes before shrugging. "Oh well, not important. GINNUNGAGAP!"

Iago held his tome aloft and waved his arm, conjuring a purple explosion around the room.

"Ngyahahaha. Foolish Hoshidans. And Izumite. And Wind Tribalist. And… whatever that last guy was. There is a reason I am Garon's mmmmost trusted henchman!"

Then, from the smoke, came two energy oxen. They both ran right for Iago and flipped him into the air with his horns. "WHAT IN BLAZES?! AAAH!" When he got up, he saw a rampaging Dragon-Kamui coming his way, ready to repeat what the oxen did. "For crying out loud… WAAAAAAH!"

The deed done, Kamui turned around and transformed. She was now wearing all white armor, with a white cape.

"You're in trouble Iago." She pointed Yato at him. "Get out now!"

"Mmmmake me!" An arrow struck him in the back. "HOOOOOOO!"

Sakura stood at the entrance of the room, taking deep breaths as she aimed a Yumi at Iago. She wore robes similar to Mikoto's very own. "D-do what she says!"

"Ah, but you see… I am a mere projection of the real Iago! I am safe in Castle Krakenburg and-"

"I'm touching your shoulder right now, Iago," Kamui said. "Go home."

He sighed and then observed the situation. Kamui was right behind him, a girl in front of him was aiming an arrow for his chest, and he could see the Izumite and tribalist getting their hands on the Fire Orb in the corner.

"…Yeah okay, screw this. You win this time, Corrin. Again!" Iago flipped a page in his tome and waved his hand again, teleporting away. Then the Hoshidan Noble cringed.

"Ew, I touched his shoulder."

Subaki and Hinoka were finally getting up, and the male Sky Knight shuddered. "Oh gods, I was defeated by that villain. How imperfect of me…" His mood quickly changed. "But I can still be the first to find the potion! Subaki Away!" He ran off.

"Hey, no! I have to do it!" Hayato abandoned the Fire Orb and went off to follow Subaki.

Next, Ryoma and Mozu entered the room. The farmer looked around and saw residual marks from the magic spells, and Izana standing by a Fire Orb.

"Lord Izana, did you blow that mage up?"

"…Yes! Yes I did! But he survived though, so don't turn on me if we end up seeing him again."

Mozu shook her head. "Who taught you how to lie to people? You stink at it."

* * *

While the battle had taken place, the servants and Silas had moved Takumi to a small guest room, allowing him to rest properly. Then Subaki stormed in.

"I have the potions. Using my knowledge of herbs, I've discerned which ones we would need for the treatment."

Hayato pouted. "I helped…"

"No he didn't. I did it on my own. Because I'm perfect."

Jakob turned to Felicia. "The worst part is, they're both wont to say these things, so I have no idea which one is the truth."

Subaki and Hayato proceeded to prepare the medicine for Takumi. They struggled for a while until Sakura came in and yelled at Subaki for keeping her brother at death's door for the sake of competition. Then she immediately apologized for yelling at Subaki and hid in the corner.

At long last, the medicine was administered, and the boy could finally heal. That was when Kamui walked in.

"So did it work?"

"We've just given it to him, milady," Subaki explained. "Now we wait. But I made it flawlessly, so it should be fine."

"I helped!" Hayato insisted.

Kamui nodded. "Good. I don't even want to imagine losing Takumi. …Especially not to Pelican's Revenge. Of all the ways to go, I mean really. Pelican's Revenge?"

Flora turned to face her liege. "So Lady Corrin… or Kamui, or whatever. Iago's sure to be keeping an eye on you now. You should stay careful."

She princess shrugged. "Yeah, but Iago was kind of underwhelming, to be honest. He's all talk, at least if you keep your guard up."

Subaki and Hayato deflated in shame and went to join Sakura in the corner.

Felicia perked up. "Hey, Lady Kamui, Flora said she could take us to the Ice Tribe! They can help us work out a plan of some kind!"

"Really? Cool! Uh, no pun intended," Kamui awkwardly rubbed her neck. "But yes, it'd be nice to see your home, after hearing about it so much. If you'd guide us, Flora, we'd appreciate it."

"Y-yes…" Flora trailed off. "Uh, before that though… How do I say this… You should really put on some shoes."

"Ugh, Flora, you know better by now, I'm not gonna."

"Lady Corrin, the village is covered in snow. Your feet will freeze. Come on, there's a clothing closet somewhere nearby, I can help you."

"Oh fine," Kamui conceded. "We should probably get shoes for Azura too. Hmph… she goes around barefoot, no one ever calls her out on it…"

Jakob looked over in his liege's direction. "In her defense, she also does not wear a full suit of armor. Also, where did you get that white outfit, milady? Let me at least clean it before you put it on next time! And another thing-"

The butler followed Kamui and Flora out of the room, leaving Sakura, Subaki, Hayato, Felicia and Silas with Takumi.

"Silas, how long were you in here?" Hayato asked.

"The whole time, I just wasn't saying anything."

Takumi stirred in his sleep. "Uuuuuugh. Trap…. Trap… Trap…"

"What is it, Takumi?" Silas leaned in close.

"Trap…"

"You want to learn the trapeze? But why now?"

Everyone, Felicia included, leaned their heads back and groaned.

Azura walked into the room. "Hey guys, what'd I miss?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the Macarath chapter. Originally, Takumi was going to suffer from Terminal 7 like Elise did in the Conquest version. But then I figured he should have his own disease. I asked some guys for a stupid disease name, and this was what I got. I like it.
> 
> This chapter was a bit of a change of pace. For once instead of fighting, everyone's just chasing Iago, trying to reach the medicine before he destroys it all. I actually like that. Lately in writing the chapters, I'm trying to shake things up a little bit, to keep from being repetitive. Another change is the Master Seals. As of this chapter, Corrin and Sakura are promoted. And everyone else will be promoted in the next chapter as well. Corrin's Hoshido Noble form makes its first appearance as she fights Iago, I imagined the whole thing like a manga, and the first shot of her new form would be some large panel, meant to demonstrate the new look.
> 
> I won't lie, the next chapter is one of my least favorite in the Birthright route, and no points for guessing why. That said, I'll be going over the documents to make sure it's up to Gray Whirlpool's standard.


	12. Frostbite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flora takes the Hoshidans to the Ice Tribe's village, and things are less funny for a bit.

_"HEY! WAKE UP!"_

_A younger Corrin, around eleven years of age, awoke to the sensation of being pushed out of bed. As she groaned, she heard the sound of a girl laughing._

_"Jakob, that hurt!"_

_Gunter cleared his throat, immediately getting the princess's attention. She looked over and found, not Jakob, but two girls standing beside him. They both wore heavy coats, and had exotic hair colors- one was pink and the other was blue. They also looked to be closer to Jakob's age than Corrin's own. Excited by the new people in her fortress, Corrin quickly let that excitement take over._

_"Hi! I'm Corrin! …Who are you?"_

_"My name is Felicia! And this is-"_

_Gunter put a hand on Felicia's shoulder, interrupting her. "Lady Corrin, I'd like you to meet Felicia and Flora. Starting today, they will be assisting you in the same manner as Jakob."_

_"I see." Corrin flashed the two girls a smile. "Hello Felicia! Hello Flora!"_

_"Hi again!"_

_The quieter girl nodded. "Hello, Lady Corrin."_

_…_

_"Aaaaah! My foooooot!" the young Corrin wailed. She was on the floor in a hallway, with a vase shard stuck in her bare foot._

_"See? This is why you need shoes!" argued Flora. Corrin tried to keep her eyes from watering, and failed miserably. The maid-in-training merely shook her head and knelt down. She plucked the shard and then waved a Heal staff in the air over Corrin's foot._

_"Wow, it's all better now! Thank you, Flora!"_

_"It's just my job."_

_…_

_"Hey Flora!" Corrin, age fourteen, caught her maid just outside the library. "We're doing Book Club again today! Are you sure you don't want to join us?"_

_The blue-haired girl nodded. "I'm quite sure, milady. I still need to set the blankets out to dry. I can't let today's weather go to waste."_

_"Please? Felicia and Jakob are here, even Lilith showed up! It won't be as fun without all of us!"_

_She sighed. "Okay. But only for a few minutes."_

_"Thank you!"_

_…_

_Flora was wrapping bandages around one of Corrin's hands. "What did you do_ now? _"_

_"I… burnt my hand on the stove," Corrin seemed loathe to admit that. "Gunter said I could try cooking, so I tried to make Ice Tribe food."_

_"Huh?" Flora looked up from her task. "What for?"_

_"For you and Felicia," she said simply. "Your birthdays are tomorrow, aren't they? Aw, I just gave away the surprise…"_

_Flora blinked. "Oh… I suppose they are. I didn't think you would remember that." A gasp. "Uh, not to presume anything about milady!"_

_"Of course I know your birthdays! I know Jakob's and Lilith's and Gunter's too! Why wouldn't I know the birthdays of all my best friends?"_

_"We're your best friends?"_

_Corrin nodded. "Mm-hm!"_

_"I see…" Flora went back to treating Corrin's hand. "Tell you what, why don't I make this dish, and you can watch? Then next time, you'll know."_

_"Really? Thank you, Flora!"_

_…_

_A slightly older Corrin, around age seventeen, was fast asleep at her desk. Tonight was Flora's turn cleaning her liege's room, and she noticed the snoring._

_"Heh. This always happens when Prince Leo visits. Wait…" Something caught her eye. Flora leaned closer and saw a map on Corrin's desk, with a location circled. It was called 'the Hill of Wishes'. "Is that… the place I told her we could visit someday?" She then noticed that Corrin's current book was a Nohrian atlas. "She really does want to go to that hill…"_

_At that moment, Flora looked around, and the fort's oppressive atmosphere renewed itself. "… You're as much a prisoner as I am. Aren't you, Lady Corrin?"_

_…_

_Corrin had been soundly defeated by Gunter in one of the knight's infamous sparring sessions. "Lady Corrin, that was poor, even for you. What's the matter?"_

_"Sorry Gunter. I was… distracted."_

_"Oh? Are you unwell?"_

_"No. I mean… I don't think so." She winced. "Gunter, how did you know when you were first… interested in the woman who became your wife?"_

_"Oho! You're growing up, milady!" The knight chuckled, and Corrin merely blushed. "And might I ask who the lucky gentleman is? …Well that's a moot point, I suppose. Jakob's the only one even close to your age."_

_"It's…" Corrin hesitated. "They're not a gentleman…"_

_"Hm? I see… Let's stop training for today. I'll have Flora make some tea, and we can-" Gunter noticed Corrin flinch when he mentioned the maid, and then smirked. "Well, if that doesn't narrow it down…"_

_"…What should I do, Gunter?"_

_The knight set aside his sword and put a hand on the princess's shoulder. "Just be honest with yourself."_

* * *

Five years had passed.

Flora was leading the army through the tundra, heading toward hers and Felicia's village. Takumi had recovered from his disease, and was gifted a Master Seal for his trouble. Several others in the army received one as well, and soon the troops were much stronger than they once were.

"The village isn't that far from the Northern Fortress, from what you've told me," Kamui said. "Huh. I wonder if we'll actually pass by there."

"What, feeling homesick?" Takumi asked. Ryoma and Hinoka glared at him. "I was kidding! Gods! I'm getting tired of everyone thinking I still hate her!"

"Are we there yet?" Felicia asked. Her sister sighed.

"No, Felicia."

"Oh. Soon?"

"You know the way there as well as I do." She kept her eyes forward, but narrowed them all the same. "Are you saying this is too slow for you?"

"What? No, I didn't say that! …Okay it's a little slow."

"Yeah let's not go too long. My buddy here is cold-blooded, you know," Scarlet said. Her wyvern whimpered. "Aww, I know, I know… Shhh…" She stroked her dragon's chin lovingly. Meanwhile, Azura kept tripping.

"Ow!"

"Are you okay Azura?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah… just not used to wearing shoes."

"I-I don't see how that would make you trip…"

"Well Sakura, if _you_ go around barefoot all the time and suddenly have to wear shoes, go ahead and tell me how to behave."

Kamui watched the whole time, smirking. "And people give _me_ a hard time over footwear…" She looked down at her borrowed boots. "Even if they are kind of smelly…"

"Well… here we are," Flora announced.

The Ice Tribe village was a nice collection of houses, as well as a frigid lake and a dragon carved from ice. Felicia's smile went from ear to ear.

"Just like I remember it!"

"I'll… go find the elders, and we can accommodate you all." With that, Flora left.

"Tell Father I said 'hi!'"

Izana shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Leaving their guests out in the cold. Guess that's one more reason I'm the best host known to man!"

"Hey!" Felicia pouted. "The cold is endearing! You just don't appreciate it!"

"The cold is proof that life hates us, and we're all meant to die," Azama declared. "So who wants to play a round of I Spy? I spy with my little eye…"

"Stop being rude!" Hinoka ordered.

"You know what?" Silas began. "I smell a trap… and that trap smells like Azura!"

Azura shook her head. She was beyond reasoning with Silas at this point. Everyone had their own unique ways of dealing with Silas by this point. Azura's was to simply ignore him.

"I'm not hearing a 'no', Azura!" Silas pointed accusingly. Kamui turned to him.

"Can you give it a rest, Silas? Please?"

Then Flora came back, followed by a few warrior-types. Felicia raised her eyebrow.

"Huh? What's she doing with the guards?"

The maid cleared her throat. "Lady Corrin… I… I need you and yours to surrender. We… we'll have to kill you if you don't."

"Flora, have you gone mad?!" Jakob asked. "You can't kill us!"

"I thought you said the tribe was gonna help us, Flora!" Felicia cried. Setsuna walked up to the pink-haired woman and pat her shoulder sympathetically.

"It's okay. The first trap is always the most embarrassing. It gets better…"

"So this was a trap?!" Kamui extrapolated. "Flora, why?!"

"I-it's not important! Just… do you surrender or not?" Her breath was quickening, and Kamui frowned.

"You know we won't."

Ryoma nodded. "Listen, we don't have to fight."

"Yes we do! Y-you... you have to die." She took a deep breath and looked at her sister. "Come with me, Felicia. I'll make sure Garon won't hurt you. Please!"

"But… but…"

"You refuse, don't you?" Flora was not really surprised. Felicia slowly nodded. "I know. But I'd hoped…"

Felicia stepped forth. "I thought you hated King Garon, Flora! So why are you helping him?! I don't like him either, so we're gonna stop him!"

"That's… I can't. Enough!" She turned to the soldiers behind her. "Do what you must."

"Flora, stop right this instant!" Jakob marched over to the maid, but heavy winds picked up, and suddenly the Hoshidans were alone again. "… Huh. Well that was easy."

"No…" Takumi looked around. He kept his voice low. "They're hiding. I can tell from all my hunting trips. These guys are waiting for the right time."

"This isn't like her," Kamui commented, but stopped. "Or… is it? I… I need to speak with her." She looked back. "Maybe we can still talk her down."

"I don't think that will work," Ryoma warned.

"It has to!"

"…Very well." Ryoma cleared his throat, and began looking around as he spoke. "Everyone, we'll cross the village while Kamui looks for the enemy leader."

"Her name is Flora!" Felicia corrected, rather indignantly. "And I'm helping Kamui!"

"As am I. As Flora's colleague, I must berate her at once," Jakob said.

"Fine, whatever. Ahem. We'll cross the village and watch each other's backs while Kamui, Felicia and Jakob look for Flora. Okay? Good. Let's go."

* * *

Jakob was looking over a sheet of paper. "First, I shall read her my revised edition of the rules of serving Lady Corrin. Then I shall give her a pop quiz. Felicia, have you seen my chalkboard? We didn't leave it back at the Wind Tribe, did we?"

Jakob went ignored, as Felicia appeared to be hyperventilating in mid-search.

"Felicia?"

"DIE, NOHRIAN SCUM!" a random Berserker cried. It leapt out of the snow and headed for Jakob, only for the butler to spin out of the way.

"Quiet! I'm trying to plan!"

"Get off our land!"

"I'm busy!"

Ahead, Kamui kept walking, but tensed up and jumped back when ice spikes popped from the snow. Felicia, who was beside Kamui, waved her hands, blowing away the snow piles that were concealing mages.

"…Well this is awkward," a mage admitted.

* * *

Contributing to the group's efforts, Sakura, now a priestess, had taken to sniping distant targets. She was flawless. Excitedly, she looked back at Takumi. "Did you see that Takumi? I got them!"

"Uhh… beginner's luck," Takumi lied. "I, uh, I could've done it faster!"

"O-oh, I see…" Sakura slouched. "I'm sorry I'm not as good as you…"

"Uh, hey, don't say that! Ugh, me and my big mouth…" Takumi shook his head. "No, you were fine! Perfect!"

"B-but you said-"

"Forget what I said!"

Azama barged into the conversation. "Oh I don't know. Sounds like Lord Takumi's been possessed by a demon of jealousy!" He held out a charm necklace and a sickle while wearing a pleasant smile. "When would you like me to perform the exorcism?"

Takumi flinched. "Aaah! Get those things away from me!"

"Fear not, Lord Takumi, I've done this several times!"

"I said stay back!"

Sakura pouted. "Please stop, Azama!"

"I'm sorry, Princess, but your brother is possessed."

"Azama…!"

"Ignore him, Sakura! He's a menace! C'mon!" Takumi and Sakura scurried away from the Great Master, but he followed.

"You can run, but you cannot hide, demon!"

"Quit it!"

"Azama." A snowman's head burst, revealing Kagero's head underneath.

"Aaah! Kagero, why are you-"

"Leave the prince alone."

The monk smugly smiled. "Oh don't worry about me, I have a naginata now! I'll exorcise Takumi yet. By the way, aren't you cold in there? Your outfit is skimpier than those of the other ninja."

Kagero furiously blushed. "I-I-… Listen to me! Stop messing with people, and focus! We're in the middle of an ambush!"

"You're not in the middle of a bush, you're in a snowman. Meanwhile, I have a demon to finish off."

"Azama!"

"Talk to me later, and I'll heal your frostbite!"

* * *

Mozu kicked at the snow. "How do these ice folk ever manage to grow anything in these here parts? Do they just eat snow?"

Silas watched her from a distance and sighed. "I wish I knew what to say to her."

Azura blinked. "Wait, you're interested in Mozu?"

"I don't have anything to tell a spy like you, Azura." He then hung his head. "But yeah…"

"Just remember that we're on the lookout for attackers- LIKE THEM!"

Azura tackled Silas out of the way, just to avoid a fighter emerging from the snow. At that time, Scarlet swooped in on her wyvern and axed the fellow. "Victory is mine!"

Silas stared in awe. "Azura… you saved me! I owe you my life!"

"No you don't."

"I'm so sorry for ever doubting you!"

"It's fine."

"But really! Please! Allow me to do something for you!"

"Go look after Mozu."

"But that doesn't help you!"

"I actually find your absence quite beneficial," Azura said. "Go."

"Oh all right… Say, where's my horse?"

Silas walked away, in time for Scarlet to land her dragon by Azura. "So you saved the traitor."

"Please don't start."

"I'm just saying!"

Azura sighed. "We just got betrayed by Kamui's maid. I don't think any of us are in the mood for traitor talk."

The Chevois knight gasped. "Felicia betrayed us?! Huh. I always had a feeling about her…"

"Ugh." The blue-haired woman shook her head. "The _other_ maid."

"There was another maid? I don't remember." She looked quizzical. "You don't mean… Jakob? I think he's a _butler._ "

"For crying out loud… The maid we met in Macarath!"

"Ohhhh!" Scarlet nodded. "I didn't remember her. Honestly, if someone's not real strong or if they're not a potential traitor, I tend to forget they exist."

"Huh?" Azura turned around. "So then why didn't you remember Flora then? She betrayed us!"

"Flora? That's her name? But she has ice powers, not plant ones!"

Azura leaned her head back, hands on her forehead. "You're like a girl version of Silas!"

* * *

Izana held a crystal ball and casually led the team. "Hmm… There's a dude hiding in the snow over there." He pointed, making Ryoma and Hinoka both look in that direction.

"Don't look at me!" A tribalist ran out of a pile of snow and fled.

Ryoma nodded. "Impressive ability you have there, Archduke Izana. Even our own Orochi can't see things as efficiently as you can."

"Hmm…" Izana seemed troubled. "You know, for a while, there's something I've been worried about. It's just been bugging me ever since I first noticed it!"

"Oh?"

"Your hair! Prince Ryoma, how did you get such an extensive mane of wild hedgehog hair?! How do you maintain it?! What is your secret?!"

"Oh this?" Ryoma pointed to his hair. "Actually I'm just deathly afraid of barbers."

The archduke stopped in his tracks. "…Huh?"

"They have no souls."

For once, Izana felt like the normal one in a conversation. He did not like it.

"Guys! Help me out, here!" Hinoka's voice distracted Ryoma and Izana. She was defending herself against two Ice Tribe sorcerers at once. "Grr, this'd be easier if I had a naginata! Setsuna, where's that weapon you were getting for me?!"

"Uhh-"

Setsuna sounded as though she had something in her mouth. A quick glance from Hinoka showed the princess that Setsuna had gotten her tongue stuck to the metal naginata.

"…Really, Setsuna?"

"Thowwy La'y Hi'o'a."

"Thowwy doesn't cut it! I need help!"

Ryoma quickly flicked Raijinto, and bolts of lightning debilitated the two tribalists The samurai then threw her Subaki's Pike.

"What's this?"

"Oh it's just Subaki's weapon," Ryoma said, completely casual. "Have fun."

"Huh, it does look familiar… Why did you have it though?"

Ryoma shrugged. "I just sort of picked it up. I don't even know, to be honest."

"Ooh, what's this?" Izana leaned down and picked up Izana's Scroll. "I've never seen this before!"

"That's _your_ scroll!" Hinoka called out.

"Lies and slander! I've only ever used those funky animal-themed scrolls!"

Ryoma put a finger to his chin. "He's not wrong…"

* * *

Takumi and Sakura kept tag-teaming the tribalists from a distance, nailing any opposition with arrows before they could be approached.

"Oh Lord Takumiiiii!" Azama baited. The Sniper and Priestess winced and quickly went off to find a snow fort to hide in. Up ahead, Kamui's team were searching a corner of the village. Azama then caught up. "Lady Kamui, have you seen your little brother? I need to carve the demons out of him!"

Kamui sighed. "Azama… I'm really not in the mood."

"Oh? Why? Because of the maid?" He raised an eyebrow. "Say, isn't that her now?"

Kamui, Jakob and Felicia found Flora facing away from them, somewhat nearby. She held a knife, and was shaking.

"Flora?" Felicia called. Her sister shook her head and turned around.

"Of course you had to make this harder for me..."

Jakob scowled. "Flora, stop embarrassing us and call off your villagers!"

"Please," Felicia pleaded, "we don't have to fight!"

Kamui was struggling to find the right words. _We're really going to fight, aren't we? If I told you how I felt back at the fortress, would that have changed anything?_

"Stop looking at me like that!" the traitorous maid screamed. "I have to do this! Do you think I'm just some horrible person who wants to kill her friends?!" She sighed. "No. Don't answer. I am horrible. But… I won't stop now."

"Flora…"

"This could be troublesome…" Azama muttered.

Flora eyed her opponents slowly. Then, she immediately flung a dagger at Azama, of all people.

"Aaah!"

The monk guarded, but he, Kamui and Felicia were suitably distracted. Flora flung another dagger, when Jakob stepped in with his own.

"Now you see here!" He angrily gestured toward the other maid. "You're making Felicia cry! Do you know how annoying it is when she cries?!"

"You really don't get it, do you, Jakob? We're not in the fortress anymore!"

"And?"

She shook her head. "I wish I could see things as simply as you and Felicia…"

Flora surprised Jakob with another knife, and the two dueled briefly. But Flora's control of the snowy winds messed with Jakob's vision.

"Aaah!" Felicia ran over and proceeded to use her powers to counter Flora's. Azama nervously looked around and ran off.

"I'll, uh, go find the others…"

Flora knew she could not last. Both her knife and her powers were respectively being outmatched by Jakob's knife and Felicia's powers. And that was not even accounting for the princess.

Kamui ran up to Flora and struck her with Yato. "Aaaah!" She leapt away from Kamui and Jakob, then disappeared in a sudden gale. The princess and butler instinctively stood with their backs together, waiting for an attack. "This is your last chance, Corrin! Jakob! Felicia!"

"NO!" They screamed at once.

"…Fine."

The enemy appeared from another gale, struck Jakob, then disappeared. She reappeared before Kamui and tried to strike, but the princess blocked. "Flora! Can you really kill us?! We read books together! We were going to go to that hill! I tried to make your favorite food for your birthday! You were always special to me! More than anyone else!"

Flora gasped. She shut her eyes, and did not relent. Felicia ran closer. "Please, Flora! I missed you so much when I went to Hoshido! Stop, and we can work together again! We can get rid of Garon, and it'll be like it was before!"

"…No it can't," Flora breathed. She backed off from Kamui and disappeared into the wind again. She reappeared behind her sister, grimacing as she raised a knife, when-

"ENOUGH!"

Ryoma's voice surprised Flora, and she turned around. He was right there, and swiftly cut her down.

"Aaaaah!"

Flora fell back into the snow. "It hurts… I can't keep fighting… You've won."

Kamui stepped closer. "Flora?"

"It was King Garon," the maid said. She looked toward Kamui, Felicia and a recovering Jakob. "He sent someone to stop the Ice Tribe from rebelling, about a month ago… They executed Father."

Felicia gasped. "N-no… No!"

"Then he brought me in, and said that I had to prove my tribe's loyalty…" Flora slowly began to stand up again. "Either I did that, or he would have his army kill us all. I had to decide right then."

Ryoma winced, and Kamui began to look hopeful.

"Well, hey, it's not too late! We can still do this!" Kamui walked closer, wanting to help Flora stand up. "Come with us, we can-"

"NO!"

The princess stopped in her tracks. "What else is it? Let me help you! Let Felicia help you! We were supposed to be friends, Flora!"

"I don't deserve it," Flora said. Her voice was strained, as though she would lose all composure any second now. "I went against my principles and served Garon, for the sake of my tribe. But we still lost… I turned my back on you and Jakob… I even attacked my own sister. I'm not good for anything!"

Jakob glared. "Stop being dramatic. So you made a mistake, but we're all fine, aren't we?"

"I can't… I can't face them again. I can't face you!" The young chieftain's eyes were beginning to water. "Stop pretending you can bear to look at me! I don't deserve you!" She shuddered. "I must be executed."

Felicia gasped. "No!"

"Calm down, Flora," Ryoma said. "We can discuss this. We're capable of mercy."

"We're not killing you, Flora! How could you even ask that?!" Felicia on the verge of tears now.

"I… I know. That's why I'll do it myself," Flora raised her hand, holding a charm of some sort. Kamui tensed up.

"Don't you do it!"

"I love you. All of you… I'm sorry that this is how it ended." With that, Flora threw down the charm and set fire to herself. " _AAAAAAAHHHHHH!_ "

"FLORA!" Felicia tried to use her powers to blow away the flames, but they were too strong. "Aaah! Enchanted flames?! Flora why?!" Felicia fell to her knees. "Flora…" She began to sob.

"I'm going to be sick," Jakob moaned, hanging his head back.

Kamui was speechless.

The flames gave out at last, and nothing was left. A puddle of melted snow was the only proof Flora had existed. Silence hung in the air. Even Ryoma was haunted by what he had just seen. Silently, he left the three to mourn, while he would speak to the others.

Felicia sobbed.

Jakob was nauseous.

Kamui took a deep breath, before tightening her grip on Yato. "…This was Garon's fault."

"M-milady?" Jakob nauseously looked over. "What are you saying?"

"If it wasn't for him… this wouldn't have… Flora would…" She balled her free hand into a fist and screamed skyward. "AAAAAAAAAH! I'LL KILL HIM!" She took some breaths. "That was the last straw! My parents… Gunter… Kaze… and now Flora! Who else has to die before we stop Garon?! I'm going to finish this!"

The butler tried to fight back his nausea. "Y-yes milady… I will stand by you."

"M-me too!" Felicia said, catching her breath. "You're the only family I have left... I'm not letting you do this alone!"

Kamui nodded. "All right…" She turned her fierce gaze to the south, in the direction of the capitol, before shutting her eyes.

"Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Don't worry, the next chapter will be funnier.)
> 
> So yeah... This is one of my two least favorite Birthright chapters. I've mentioned this in other places, but the canon chapter really got under my skin. Maybe because I have a weakness for "tragic maiden" characters, or maybe because I could see the situation from Corrin's perspective. But beating this chapter was what made me want to play Revelation the first time. Heck, I actually wrote out Flora's final scene as soon as I wrote the previous Birthright chapter, just to get it out of the way. (Before writing the Conquest chapter where Corrin finally confesses to her.)
> 
> Now, as sad as it still makes me, it was kind of a weird death. Who talks that much after getting set on fire, even magic fire? So I simplified it to more of an instantaneous thing. And I do think it was a stupid decision on her part. Please know that I'm not intending to portray the incident as some type of martyrdom- I'm thinking something just kind of snapped in her brain. Guilt, esteem, pressure, etc.
> 
> Sorry if the chapter wasn't quite funny enough. I did still go for some humor (and even a bit of Silas development). Azama and Kagero's scene made me smile. And I can assure you, I think the next chapter has much stronger humor.
> 
> For some final trivia, the chapter title comes from another Flora fic I've read, and the scene with Young Corrin getting glass in her foot is a revisit of a scene from my fic, Northern Fortress Training Video.
> 
> Look forward to the next chapter.


	13. The Fresh Prince of Nohr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo gets off his lazy bum and actually tries to fight Kamui and the Hoshidans.
> 
> Special Announcement - After going back and forth, I have decided. I will be writing a Revelation path after I finish the Birthright and Conquest ones. I wasn't sure about it at first, but I have a few ideas that I want to try. However, there is a problem with Revelation. There are just too many characters in Revelation.
> 
> I would appreciate if anyone reading this could maybe suggest a few ideas on how to manage so many characters. Normally I use Lilith's Astral Plane as a way to keep characters in the wings. But there are a lot of main characters in Revelation, so I'll need more than that. I can't say I'll use a certain idea, but I'm willing to listen.
> 
> Now, enjoy the chapter.

"Doot-doot-doo, readin' my book, doot-doot-doo…" Leo sang to himself, enjoying a book in Castle Krakenburg's library and eating a tomato. But just as he was about to take another bite, the door flew open, and Garon stomped in.

"LEO!"

"Aaah!" Leo instinctively flung the tomato, and it hit Garon's face. "Oh… Sorry, Father…"

"Leo! Get yerself in gear and go kill Corrin! Hans told me you barely helped at Cheve!"

"Uhhh… okay. D-do you want me to clean your face before-"

"GIT GOIN'!"

"Aaah! Okay! Uh, do you happen to know where she is?"

Garon scowled, somehow managing to intimidate Leo in spite of the tomato on his face. "What am I, a danged mind reader?! Go find her yerself! And don't come back without her head, understand me?!"

Leo frantically nodded, as he ran off to prepare. "Y-yes sir!"

An hour later, Leo and two men were set to go. Due to timing (and laziness), Leo's team consisted of only his retainers. One was a bombastic mage, gamboling down the grand staircase. The other was quieter and wore an eyepatch, walking a few steps behind Leo. The prince himself was briskly making his way down.

"Okay! I'm leaving, everyone!" Silence was his only answer. "Camilla? I'm taking off!"" Still nothing. "…Elise? Xander? …Anyone?" Merely crickets. "…Huh, they're all still torn up, I guess. I'm starting to think I got the long end of the stick out of this whole 'Corrin left us behind' thing."

"Except that even without Corrin, they're still ignoring you," the cyclops taunted.

"…Oh it's _on_ now, Corrin! I'm giving her a piece of my mind!" Leo stomped the rest of the way down the stairs.

The mage nervously turned toward his colleague. "Niles, should we tell him that his collar is-"

"Don't you dare."

* * *

The Hoshidans had quickly left the Ice Tribe. Felicia took them to the nearby Woods of the Forlorn, Sakura's worst nightmare. "So Windmire shouldn't be very far. The forest's kinda like a backroad," Felicia explained. "I bet they won't expect us at all!"

A little further behind, Lilith was floating at Kamui's head level. "Lady Corrin… or Kamui… or… Hey, I'm worried about you. You're still wearing the boots you picked up at Macarath."

Kamui looked down. It was true, she had yet to take off those boots. "I… guess I was distracted."

"I can't believe I missed the whole thing," the dragon lamented. "I wonder if I could have stopped her…"

"DON'T BE FOOLED," Ryoma said. Kamui looked over.

"What?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Just… don't be fooled, okay?"

"O…kay…"

"Now, we just need to make it through these woods…" Ryoma turned his attention to the team's new guide. "Felicia, you said you know this forest?"

"Yep!" Felicia cheered. "I used to camp out here when I was a kid! Sometimes me and Flora would hunt for… Aw, I made myself sad again…"

As the group proceeded, Takumi was taking in the scenery. "Who goes around keeping these lanterns lit?"

Hinata shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe they're magic! That'd be the only nice thing about this swamp, to be honest. No fields!"

"You and your fields, I swear…"

"Aaaaah!"

Sakura shrieked and held Takumi's arm tightly. "Uh, Sister? Can I have my arm back?"

"M-monsters!"

Takumi, Hinata and everyone else quickly looked to find what had Sakura so worried: a legion of Faceless in the space ahead.

"Zoinks, Lord Takumi! It's a bunch of Faceless!"

"So _these_ are the Faceless," Silas said. "I don't think I've ever encountered any…"

"These zombies are jacked!" Izana cried.

Ryoma surveyed the landscape. "I think we'll probably have to fight our way through. I just hope they don't follow us out of the forest…"

"Aha!" a young man's voice carried. "I've found you, Corrin."

The red-eyed woman blinked. "Is that… Leo?"

Further behind the Faceless was an encroaching violet smog. Leo's horse emerged from the cloud, with Leo himself holding Brynhildr open.

"…Hey."

"Hey…" Corrin awkwardly returned the greeting. "…How are you, Leo?"

The prince's eyes narrowed. "Not good, I'm afraid. Apparently, you're my competition even when you're not around…"

"Huh? Competition?"

"Look, I'm not saying I _want_ to kill you… but Father's probably going to eat me alive unless I do."

"Kill me?!"

Leo rolled his eyes. "What, you thought you could go against Father and get off with a stern warning? Besides, it's not like I haven't had to kill to survive before."

"In war…"

"Huh?" Leo seemed confused. "Oh I was talking about the concubine ordeals. But yeah, war too."

Kamui tilted her head. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"No one ever told you? About all of Father's concubines?"

"No!"

Ryoma leaned forward. "Kamui, maybe now isn't the time…"

"But I don't get it!" Kamui ignored her older brother. "Why would Father have so many concubines? Is he even capable of love?!"

"Whoa! Corrin, please…! I'm still figuring that out," Leo admitted. Izana overheard this and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "But that's enough small talk. I have a job to do."

Hinoka glared at all the Faceless between her family and Leo. "And these muscle-heads of yours will do it for you?"

"Huh? I didn't summon these- I mean YES! Yes I have conjured my own legion of Faceless! They didn't conveniently appear right before I showed up! Not at all! Heheh…" He whispered to the shade. " _Niles, Odin, don't kill any of these Faceless, let the Hoshidans think we're together!"_ He turned back to the Hoshidans. "Now watch this!"

Leo waved his hands over his tome, and suddenly hazardous waste began to form around the Hoshidan army's feet. A burning sensation flushed Takumi's ankles, making him wince in pain. "Gyaaah! It hurts! Why?! It's just a puddle!"

Ryoma tried budging. "You fiend!"

Silas shrugged. "Huh. I can actually still move."

"Me too," Scarlet observed. Jakob nodded as well.

Kamui noticed that she could also move. "It doesn't work on me either."

"What?! That spell is meant to target people born on the Hoshidan side of the Bottomless Canyon! You were born there, weren't you?"

The princess nervously rubbed her neck. "Uh… Maybe?"

"What… what do you mean 'maybe?!' You either were or you weren't! These guys are your family by blood, right?!"

Kamui sighed. "Leo, it's a long story and I'm not in the mood."

"So wait, did they trick you? Did you really abandon us for nothing?! I want answers!"

"Well how about you stop trying to kill us? Then I might talk."

Leo winced. "Ooh. Yeah, I can't do that. Guess I'll never know…"

"Fine. But you know what?" Kamui gave her brother a confident smirk. "Your collar's on wrong again."

"What?! Gaaaah!"

As Leo adjusted his collar, Kamui, Silas, Jakob, Felicia, Scarlet and Azura helped their Hoshidan allies out of the dark wastes. That was when it occurred to Hinoka that there were a lot of non-Hoshidans fighting for the Hoshidan cause.

"Ryoma, you ever start to feel like we're being outnumbered on our own team?"

"Well maybe if half our retainers didn't keep lazing around in that other realm…"

"All right, where's that smug brother of yours, lemme at him!" Takumi readied Fujin and pointed in Leo's direction, but the mage was already gone. Takumi and everyone else began looking around, until Leo's voice echoed throughout the grove.

" _Know this, Corrin: I've always hated you! Secretly!_ "

She gasped. "Y-you did?"

" _…Aww, I can't stay mad at that fa- I MEAN YES! Yes I did! Yeah… Loser._ "

Then, Kamui's shock went away. "…You're not good at this."

" _Look, I'm in big trouble after forgetting to help Camilla in Cheve, so this is what I have to do. Either you die, or I do. That's the Nohrian way._ "

Kamui merely stared at where her brother had once sat upon his horse. "Well… I guess we're fighting Leo. Maybe."

* * *

The plan was simple- beat Leo. Unfortunately, the mob of Faceless got in the Hoshidans' way, and there was only so much of Ryoma to go around.

"See your death, see your death, see your death…" Ryoma kept killing Faceless. Azura kept singing, giving Ryoma a boost of energy, letting him make short work of even more Faceless. "Thank you, Azura."

"Yeah. Hey Ryoma… I'm sorry I've been so reclusive this whole time."

Ryoma smiled. "It's no problem, Azura. Would you like to talk now?"

"Uh… okay." She scratched her head. "Do you… like singing?"

"I'm more into calligraphy."

"…What's your favorite ghost story?"

"The one about the barber. I wrote it myself."

Azura sighed. "Right…"

A dead Faceless flew past, as Hinoka's Pegasus trotted up to greet the duo. "Hey! Good to see you reaching out, Azura!"

"Uh, yeah…" the singer quickly looked between the two siblings. "But I think we've spent enough time-"

Hinoka narrowed her eyes. "No! You're going to bond, and you're going to like it! Ahem… Azura, did you hear about the time Takumi got beaten up by one of Sakura's retainers?"

"… I'm listening."

Ryoma turned his head. "Wait, what's this about?"

* * *

Jakob and Scarlet were working together to combat more Faceless.

"So Jakob. You know Silas, right?"

The butler rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately."

"Do you think he's dangerous?"

"Please. I wouldn't trust him with a butter knife."

The Wyvern Lord nodded. "Yeah… I like the sound of that. He's dangerous!"

"Dangerously stupid."

"Yeah, if he thinks he can betray us, he definitely is stupid!"

Jakob stopped and looked over at Scarlet. "Wait, what are you saying?"

Scarlet smiled. "Don't worry, Jakob. We'll handle it."

"…No, I think I would like to know what you're saying…" Jakob insisted.

The knight hung her head back in frustration. "Oh wake up, Jakob! …Heh, that rhymed."

"Scarlet."

"Oh! Silas _has_ to be our mole. He vanished right before our bunker was hit!"

"Absurd. Silas has been loyal to milady ever since joining forces. But if you are so interested, why not have someone spy on him?"

"Like Saizo? Nah, he doesn't trust me either."

At this, the butler actually seemed displeased. "Hm. It appears there is little trust among our ranks… I may want to alert Lady Corrin…"

Scarlet looked around and caught Hinata rolling in circles in a patch of tall grass. "Hey! You!"

"Aaah!" Hinata stood up. "I was listening!"

"Do me a favor and spy on Silas for me, all right?"

"Huh? What for? He's a total bro!" Scarlet's Wyvern roared, which frightened Hinata. "Yikes! Okay, I'm going, I'm going!"

Jakob put his gauntlet to his forehead. "What a mess…"

* * *

"AHA! Behold: Odin Dark!"

Leo's blonde mage jumped out of a bush, doing a flip, and landed several feet ahead of Felicia and Izana. The Onmyoji shrugged. "Eh. I've seen flashier entrances."

"Wh-what?! No!" The mage was taken aback. "Odin Dark must have the flashiest entrance! The _darkest_ flashiest entrance!"

Izana nodded contemplatively. "Hmm… What if you were casting a spell as you jumped out?"

"Hmm. I'm intrigued. We'll share notes later, if we're both still alive." Odin was smiling, but then remembered himself and tried to look fierce. "Wait! This is no time for fraternization! I shall not fall for your wiles, Hoshidan!"

"Actually I'm from Izumo!"

"And I'm from the tribe nearby," Felicia explained. She gasped. "Wait, don't attack there! I didn't tell you anything!"

Odin struck a pose. "And now, Odin Dark presents: ELDRITCH SMACKDOWN!"

With a spinning jump, Odin waved a tome and shot a lightning bolt at Izana and Felicia, which they narrowly avoided. Odin was displeased. "Ah, my spell hand fails me! But I am not restricted to darkness! Prepare for… UNQUENCHABLE BLOOD FLAMES!"

Odin waved his hands, and geysers of fire erupted. Izana cringed. "Hoo! His spells are no joke!"

"F-fire…" Felicia observed Odin's blood-red flames. She clenched her fists and glared. "How dare you!"

"Wait, what?" Odin asked, dropping character.

"I'M GONNA BREAK YOU!" In an instant, Felicia threw herself onto Odin, punching him with increasingly cold hands. "You evil, evil people! Working for that king! You're the reason I don't have a family anymore!"

"Ow! Aaah! I don't get it! Ow! Oof! Niles, help! Aaah!"

Saizo materialized and pulled Felicia off Odin. "All right, I think he's learned his lesson." He glared at Odin. "No fires in front of her, got it?"

"Her darkness… was darker than mine…"

"I'll take that in the affirmative." Saizo turned over to Felicia. "You good now?"

"Uh, yeah… Lost my cool there. Heh, _cool._ "

Saizo rolled his eye at the pun, but then cleared his throat. "By the way, Nohrian… I'm sorry about what happened. In your village... and for what I said before."

The maid tilted her head. "Huh? Oh! Thank you… And I'm sorry about Kaze…"

"He might still be alive, I'm not sure yet," Saizo countered.

Izana grinned. "Aww, you two made friends!"

Then Izana was swiftly silenced with one of Saizo's death glares. On the ground, Odin was squirming away.

"Must… retreat… to rehearse… for next time…"

* * *

Silas rode through another area of the swamp, with Mozu behind him on the horse. The farmer kept her eyes peeled, until an arrow whizzed _between_ her and Silas. "Aah! Silas, be careful! There's an archer to our right!"

"Huh?" Silas looked and found the one-eyed man hiding in the bushes. "Hey! Fight us like a man!"

"Hmm. Which one should I penetrate with my arrow? Tough call…" Niles stepped into clear view.

Mozu looked flustered, while Silas shrugged. "I mean, it'd be unchivalrous of me to let Mozu get hurt, especially since I'm right here."

"Oho! I didn't know you wanted me that badly, Silas."

"Want you? You're joining us? But aren't you one of Prince Leo's retainers? He's gonna be mad."

Niles' bemused smirk disappeared. "N-no, Silas… That's not-"

"And how do you know my name?"

Niles tried to regain control of the conversation. "Ooh, you want to know my dirty secrets, Silas?"

Mozu squinted. "Hey, aren't you that feller what helped me find my village's treasure?"

Niles winked, being unable to blink. "Huh? Oh yeah, now I remember. You made me do a little dance with you after. You're all the way here in Nohr?"

Silas looked back and forth. "What? Mozu, why didn't you tell me about this guy?!"

"Huh?!" Mozu was becoming indignant. "An' what's that supposed to mean?!"

The outlaw grinned wickedly. "Jealous, little Silas? Oh, but which one of us do you envy, I wonder?"

Silas frowned. "Huh? Why would I be jealous of Mozu?"

"…Okay, this is getting boring." Niles notched an arrow. "I'll just make it quick and painless. Something tells me drawing out your deaths will just be a disappoint-"

"Take this, pirate man!"

"AAAH!"

Hinata emerged from a bush behind Niles and cut him down. "Haha! I win!"

"Urgh… crafty Hoshidans… am I right?"

"Huh?" Hinata looked down at Niles, then ahead at Silas and Mozu. "Oh! Hey guys! Were you talking to this pirate dude?"

"Yeah, he kept trying to confuse us!" Silas said. "But it's all good now."

"Oh, okay!" Hinata walked off, smiling. "I'll go tell Scarlet it's fixed!"

* * *

Leo awaited Kamui, Takumi and Sakura. "Hmph. Of course _you_ had to be the one to make it this far, huh?"

"That was the idea." Kamui looked to her younger Hoshidan siblings. "Guys, why'd you follow me?"

"I can't let your Nohrian little brother look better than me!" Takumi declared.

Sakura rotated the rod in her hands. "I-I just wanted to heal you if something went wrong…"

Leo stared at the younger Hoshidan princess until Kamui's words snapped him out of it. "Listen up, Leo. I know you don't really want to be here. And that's okay! We don't have to fight!"

"That's accurate. We _don't_ have to fight. So why don't you just let me put you down?"

"Leo…"

"Okay I admit it: I really was jealous of you, Corrin. Xander kept training you, Camilla doted if you so much as sneezed, and don't even get me started on Elise!" He shook his head. "And you know what? A selfish part of me thought that maybe they'd notice me more, now that you'd left. But they're still obsessed with you!"

Kamui blanched. "L-Leo, I didn't know… I didn't mean to-"

"Of course you didn't mean to!" balked Leo. "If you knew, you would've tried to make sure I got more credit. …And then Xander and Camilla would fawn over how thoughtful you were, for trying to include me." He sighed. "Look, you're not a bad person, treason aside. I did enjoy our time together, but now it's over."

"Yeah, for you!" Takumi challenged, right as he fired from Fujin. Leo tensed up and ducked.

"Takumi, please try not to kill him!"

"K-Kamui, he's trying to kill us!" Sakura cried. The Hoshido Noble drew a long breath and faced Leo.

"Leo, let's keep this between you and me. How about it?"

Leo shook his head. "Yeah, Father's not gonna like that. So… Bedtime." Leo waved his hand over an open page of Brynhildr, causing bramble to emerge from the ground and blindside Takumi. Sakura gasped.

"Well… it's still t-two against one!" Sakura quickly traded her rod for her yumi and fired at Leo, but the boy blocked it with more ease than Fujin's arrow. "I won't let you hurt my big sister!" She prepared another arrow, but by now Leo's horse was on the move, and he was too close for Sakura to react. "Aaah!"

Leo's hand was pulled back, coated in magic, ready to go. "Would you believe me if I told you this wasn't personal? Distinct from being from my rival nation, you seem pleasant."

Sakura blinked. "…Huh?"

"Oh just forget about- HEY!" Leo flailed about as he and his horse were both knocked over by Kamui's dragon form. In this state, Leo let loose a spell without aiming, causing a branch to materialize randomly on the ground. "Oof! Oh my arm… I think I landed on it weird…"

Kamui returned to her human form. "You've lost, Leo."

"…Yeah, guess so… You're not gonna kill me, are you? That'd suck."

"No!"

"Oh thank the gods." Leo allowed himself to lay flat on the ground. Kamui looked over at Sakura, and the younger princess understood. She went over to heal Takumi. "But I can't go home now…"

Kamui went over to Leo and knelt down beside him. She pulled out a Bloom Festal and waved it over Leo. "That should help a little."

"Huh? When'd you learn to heal?" Kamui said nothing and tried to get Leo to sit up. Then, when he least expected it, she put her arms around his shoulders. "Corrin?"

"Leo, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you jealous, I'm sorry for leaving you behind, I'm sorry for what I did just now… I'm not sorry for fighting for my beliefs, but I'm sorry I hurt you to do it."

Leo awkwardly pat Kamui on the back. "Hey, it's… I'm okay. Honestly, I think I'm the most well-adjusted in the castle right now." He sighed. "At least until Father punishes me..."

Then, Azura and Izana joined the siblings, with Azura addressing Leo. "I don't think you'll have to worry about Garon. Take this." Azura handed Leo a crystal ball.

"Uh, who are you? You look kind of familiar… And what am I supposed to do with this?"

Izana chuckled. "It's easy! Just charge it with some magic and then take a look! Preferably somewhere Garon can't see you!"

Leo then stared blankly at the orb. "…Might as well. I'll get to it before I head back. By the way Corrin, nice boots." Kamui looked at her boots and promptly started removing them, with Leo fondly sighing. "You really haven't changed that much after all. It was nice seeing you again."

"Huh?" Kamui looked up from her task. "You won't join us?"

"What? I can't do that, Corrin!"

"Okay, so don't join us. But you really should look into that crystal," Azura said. Preempting Kamui, Azura turned to answer her. "I picked it up on my own while you guys were screwing around in Macarath. And I'm still not psychic."

"But I am! Sometimes. Eh." Izana waved his hand. "You're lucky, Leo! I had to practically beg Azura to show me what's in this thing!"

Now Kamui was curious. "What… is in that crystal, anyway?"

Leo was staring at it. "…Looks like a slimier version of Father. That's weird. Is this what happens when he goes without a shower? Well thanks," Leo said sarcastically, throwing the crystal over his shoulder. But then he paused. "Wait, you're Azura?"

"Yeah. And something's wrong with Garon. I don't know what it is, but it's there. Didn't get to do as much research as I would've liked."

Kamui rolled her eyes. "Something's wrong with Garon… I'd like to know what's _right_ with Garon…"

Leo looked toward his sister. "Hey. You're all still alive because it was _me_ you fought. You know that, right? If you were fighting Xander, you'd be a stain on the ground right now." He shook his head. "Ooh, it'd be a bloodbath. Ever since you left, Xander's gone crazy with training. 100 push-ups. 100 sit-ups. 100 squats. Then a ten-kilometer run every single day for the past month."

At that time, Sakura and Takumi had rejoined with Kamui, and Sakura was intimidated. "We won't have to f-fight him, will we?"

"Oh no question, he'll force a fight one way or the other. The castle could be burning down, and he'll insist on a fight. Buuut… maybe I can help you after all, Sister."

Kamui's eyes lit up. "You mean it? How?"

Leo stood up, and Kamui did the same. Then Leo shoved a book into her hands. "This is a Warp Book. It's how I was able to get here so fast after Odin divined your location to me. Take this and go to Notre Sagesse, a seaside town. You'll find the Rainbow Sage and he'll make you tough enough to fight Xander. Probably."

"Wasn't Ryoma meaning to visit Notre Sagesse?" Takumi asked Sakura. The priestess shrugged.

Leo stood his horse up and returned to the saddle, with Kamui's help. "I'm gonna lay low for a while."

"Thank you, Leo. And I'm sorry again for everything."

"Yeah, yeah just… be careful, Corrin. Or...?"

"Kamui," the albino answered.

"Meh. 'Corrin' has a better ring to it. Oh well. Odin! Niles! We're going on vacation!" Leo rode off on his horse, and was quickly followed by Niles, himself dragging Odin along the ground. Niles casually nodded toward the Hoshidans as he passed. They stood awkwardly for a moment, until Izana broke the silence.

"Woo! Road trip! Can't wait!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Odin's fire spells giving Felicia horrible flashbacks of her sister? That was one of the very first jokes planned for the entire story.
> 
> Throughout this story, it's been established that Leo is taking Corrin's betrayal rather well, but here we can see that he still has some issues with it. But overall, it's still a pretty light chapter, I'd say. After Corrin's identity crisis and the stuff with Flora, we needed to get back to the point- comedy. And Leo was set up to be a mellow antagonist long ago, so I say it works. The weirdest part, though? Odin and Niles are more fun to write as antagonists than as allies. Probably since in this story, I don't have to worry about giving them subplots or sharing attention. And with their more limited appearances, it forces me to have a better grasp of their characters in order to convey them properly.
> 
> Azura finally tries to connect with the Hoshidans, and Hinoka's helping her do it. Even if she's not the leader anymore, Hinoka appears to be the one trying to keep the family together in this story. In the meantime, Scarlet further proves that she's not so different from Silas, to Jakob's dismay. Also, Mozu and Niles' support conversations appeared to have taken place sometime prior to this chapter. A small reference to how Mozu is available in all routes (despite not being in my Conquest fic).
> 
> Here's another thing: Leo's forming a bit of a crush on Sakura. It's not really going to go anywhere, since this is the Birthright route, but that's something to look forward to when I get to Revelation. If you like that pairing. Senbonzakura (Rapis Razuri) and Water Under the Bridge (Anghelic) both converted me.
> 
> Next time, we get to visit the Rainbow Sage.


	14. Rainbow Seven (Storm)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamui and the Hoshidans visit the Rainbow Sage to power up, in order to avoid getting slaughtered when they inevitably fight Xander.

Thanks to Leo's tome, Kamui, Ryoma and Azura made it to Notre Sagesse. Kamui looked around.

"Uh… Are we all here?"

"Of course we are," Ryoma answered. Kamui blinked.

"Then… where is everyone else?"

"What do you mean? We are all here."

"I only see three of us."

"That must be a problem with your perception, then," Ryoma shrugged her off. "But anyway, this is Notre Sagesse? You know, after Mother's… incident, I was considering coming here for extra strength. But then we easily held off the Nohrians at the border, so I guess I didn't need it that badly."

Kamui looked away, ashamed. "They were probably… a little hurt by my decision, and they didn't put up as good a fight."

"…Oh…"

Azura pointed to the distance. "I think I see a giant mountain over there. I wonder if that's where the Rainbow Sage lives."

An older man was sitting on a bench nearby and stood up. "Yo, you wanna find the dang ol' sage man, gotta climb the mountain, gotta watch out though, dang ol' mountain, man, dangerous, then the dang ol' monsters in the sanctuary man, dangerous. Man."

Azura blinked. "…Oh. Okay then." She turned back to Kamui and Ryoma. "I do not understood what he just said."

* * *

Thus, the army began scaling Mt. Sagesse. On the way up, Azura had decided to speak with Takumi.

"Hey Takumi."

"Uh, hey?" the boy responded. "What do you want?"

"Want? I don't want anything. Can't I just talk to my adoptive brother?"

Takumi shrugged. "I… I guess so, but you've never wanted to before. Okay to be fair, neither did I, but that was before! Just so you know, I'm over it. Just like I'm over Kamui, I'm over you too. Is that clear?"

"Yes, yes, you don't hate us anymore."

"Uh, did you have anything in mind to talk about?"

Though she kept walking, Azura merely stood forward.

"…I didn't think of that."

Takumi sighed. "Fine, I guess I'll start. Uhh…"

"Good start, Takumi."

"Hey I don't see you having any better ideas!"

"Oh, now I have one. Orochi told me that you used to have tea parties with Sakura and her dolls," Azura said. "I think I vaguely remember being invited to one of those."

"Aaah! Can we not talk about _that?_ " Takumi's face flushed red, and Azura smiled.

"Everyone, look!" Ryoma pointed to the distance, and everyone followed. There was an old, fancy building not too far away. "That must be the Sevenfold Sanctuary."

"It'd better be," Takumi griped. "I don't know how much more of this mountain I can take!"

* * *

**_ROOM 1!_ **

Before long, the army made their way into the sanctuary. It consisted of seven main buildings, with several stairways connecting them. Noticing that the sanctuary offered two main paths, Ryoma discerned that everyone would do well to split into two main parties. "So… Kamui, Azura, you're both with me."

Ryoma looked over. "Hinoka: you, Takumi and Sakura will cover the western rooms."

"I'll go with you, Ryoma," Scarlet offered. "Is that cool?"

"Huh? Whatever," Ryoma disregarded her. "Felicia, go with my other siblings, and take Mozu with you. Silas, Jakob, you two are with us."

Felicia gasped. "I'm almost never separated from Lady Kamui _and_ Jakob! Will I be okay? Outside of fighting, I mean."

The butler rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you'll manage."

"I'll go with you," offered Kaden, "it'll be fun!"

Ryoma looked over. "Izana, you will also go with Hinoka's group. All right, that's about everyone."

Kamui blinked. "…What about Rinkah?"

"What _about_ Rinkah?"

"Being excluded really burns me up!" the Oni Chieftain declared.

Ryoma sighed. "…Fine. You're with us. Now let's go!"

* * *

**_ROOM 2!_ **

There were a few empty suits of armor and spare clothes lying around the chamber, along with unused weapons. But as soon as the Hoshidans entered, glowing silhouettes came to inhabit the clothing and armor, as well as wield the weapons. Ryoma readied himself.

"So these must be the monsters that old man was warning us about!"

"You understood him?" Azura asked. "Honestly I was thinking he was a refugee from the old folks' home."

"HA!" Ryoma struck the nearest ghost, but it had no effect. "…That… has never happened before."

"And Silas will save the day!" the knight boasted. His horse ran up to the illusory Master of Arms, ready to swing a sword, only for the sword to bounce off the enemy. An intense pain came over his arm. "WHOOOOA!"

Kamui sucked in her breath. "Okay… We need a plan."

Azura stepped forward. "I think I know what's going on here. The Rainbow Sage is said to put his visitors through trials. He must be empowering these suits of armor from a remote location. That's the bad news."

"And the good news?" Kamui asked.

"Even for a powerful sage, he can only split his focus so much. If I had to guess, every room will have guards. But each one should have different weaknesses or strengths. And because of the sage's limited focus, those weaknesses and strengths will be exaggerated. Take this room, for example. They are all very strong against physical attacks. But what about magic?"

"Ah, I see. That's cool!" Kamui then sighed. "It's just too bad we don't have any magic users with us."

"Don't say that, Lady Kamui!" Lilith's voice was audible. She flew out of the princess's satchel once again. "I'll make up for lost time! LIKE THIS!" The dragon flew up to the Master of Arms and spewed out black flames, disintegrating the phantom.

Kamui smiled. "Haha! That's it! Everyone, we can relax! Lilith will help us out!"

* * *

**_ROOM 3!_ **

Hinoka took charge of the western division, as expected. Her team was greeted by more of the puppet soldiers.

"G-G-G-GHOSTS!" Sakura cried. She got down on her knees. "D-Dawn Dragon, please allow these souls to-"

" _TAG! You're it!_ " Kaden, in fox form, tackled a ghostly General, which fell apart instantly. Hinoka also attacked one of the enemies, and it fell apart just as easily.

"Huh. These ghosts aren't really that tough."

Izana whipped out his new scroll and attacked one of the foes with enchanted paper, but it did not have any effect. "Uh… Mulligan!" He swung the scroll again, but it had the same (lack of) effect. "Oh come on! You're gonna make a monkey of me, ghosts?! We have a perfectly good villager and maid to humiliate!"

Felicia glared. "Well, I never…!"

Mozu shoved Izana down and pulled out a naginata. She ran toward Izana's old enemy and destroyed it with one attack. "I did it! Magic ain't a match for a good ol' pointy stick!"

Hinoka flew along the room, taking out several ghosts in one long cut. "Ha! Victory will be ours!"

"That's right, Your Highness! Team Naginata!" Mozu cried.

* * *

**_ROOM 4!_ **

Lilith was going to town on the ghosts, but she was not a natural combatant. Fatigue was setting in, and Kamui could tell. "Hey Lilith, you can stop for now. I have an idea anyway."

Kamui concentrated and morphed her hand into a monstrous dragon mouth. Ryoma was nearby and winced when he saw it. Kamui shot a ball of water out of her hand and walloped the phantom. She smiled. "Cool, so it was magic water! I was worried that was my spit or… my spinal fluids or… or something, I don't know."

Rinkah was also nearby and nodded. "That's hot! I'm gonna use fire magic!"

With that, Rinkah proceeded to deep-fry all the ghosts she could find. Everyone else was content to sit back and allow it, which afforded Ryoma time to speak with his sister. "Does that hurt?" he asked. "The transformation, I mean."

"Hm? No, not really. It feels a little weird, but you get used to it." Kamui then blinked. "You know… judging from the fact that I'm the only one who can transform, it really shouldn't have come as such a shock that I'm only your stepsister."

"Don't say 'only' like that. As though you're some consolation prize," Ryoma told her. "Bad enough we had Azura thinking it."

"Oh! I didn't mean it like that!" Kamui hastily assured. "I just meant… y'know…"

"And you're sure you've made peace with it? I wondered if maybe you were just distracted by Kaze's ambiguous death."

"Yes. It's fine."

Ryoma nodded. "Okay. I'm glad. Because I care." Kamui nodded as well. "I care about all my family, step or otherwise." Then Kamui tilted her head, frowning.

"Ryoma, it sounds like _you're_ the one who still has a problem with it."

"Well… I still feel guilty for upsetting you. But now I also feel guilty for betraying Father and Mother and Mother's wishes."

"Father and Mother and… Oh yeah, your guys' mother. Who was she, anyway?"

Ryoma smiled. "She was great. Her name was Ikona, and… and… uh…" He blinked. "…Oh gods I barely remember her." He grimaced. "Did she like to fight too? Was she stern or soft? What color was her hair? I can't remember!"

 _Oh gods, he's going to destroy himself trying to remember something! Quick, distract him!_ "Uhh, well that makes two of us! At least you didn't lose _all_ your memories of Hoshido."

Then the samurai gasped. "Oh gods, now I'm reminding you of your imprisonment!"

 _It backfired! Now he feels even worse!_ "Uh, I didn't mean it like that! Just… Hey, what were things like before we reunited?"

"Huh? Oh. Well…" Ryoma put a finger to his chin, "you've spent over a month with them, so I'm sure you know plenty about our siblings already. But Hinoka was a lot like Sakura when she was younger." He paused. "No, wait… Sakura frightens easily, but she doesn't cry that often… At least not compared to Hinoka, when she was younger. Takumi was a bit of a crybaby as well."

"Heh… I sort of wear my emotions on my sleeves too."

"I remember. I suppose that made me and Azura the stoic ones," Ryoma joked. "Oh and your… our… Mikoto was kind of weird. And I don't just mean the part where she named a cat after you. She'd do weird things."

Now Kamui was interested. "Like what?"

"Well, she would always refer to money as 'candy'. Whenever we ate together, she would only drink hot water. Yes, the water needed to be piping hot. Also whenever she took baths, she would sing showtunes from Nestran operas. Really loudly. And badly." Kamui started giggling. "As Queen, she had to deliver speeches on occasion. It once took her three hours to learn a two-sentence introduction. She'd have all these roundabout, indirect ways of accomplishing simple tasks, too." Now Ryoma was beginning to laugh. "Haha, several times Yukimura would ask her why. And Mother would just say 'I can't be predictable, I'm in Hoshido now.'"

"Hahahahaha!' Kamui wiped a tear from her eye with her human hand. "Oh… I wish I could have been there… I suppose we _all_ wish I could've been there…" She shook her head. "I can't think like that. We're together now, at least."

She then changed her monster hand back to normal, as Ryoma smiled. "Indeed we are. Now… I believe Rinkah ran off to the next room, and I don't quite trust her to stay alive all by herself. I'll tell you more about our family once we leave here."

Kamui smiled. "I'd like that."

* * *

**_ROOM 5!_ **

"HAHAHA! FEEL MY WRATH, DANGED GHOST SOLDIERS!"

Mozu was having the time of her life, taking apart the illusory infantrymen. This was the strongest she had ever felt. Even the battle-happy Kaden was getting a little uncomfortable.

"All right, they're all takin' dirt naps now, Kaden!" Mozu declared. "Let's move on to the next room! I'm unstoppable!"

Kaden, back in his human form, winced. "Uh… Shouldn't we wait for the royals and that Izana guy to catch up? Oh and Felicia too."

"Aw, but they're so slow! This is the most fun I've had since joining the army!" She gave Kaden a confident smirk. "These ghosts are easier to flay than that bear I caught that one time!"

"Huh? You caught-"

"Flayed."

"You flayed a bear? All by yourself?"

"Surely did!"

"B-but what have the bears done to you?! Hunting is okay, but the bears are my clan's friends! We'd frolic together!"

Mozu briefly snapped out of her power high. "Frolic? With a bear? How?"

The fox-man shrugged. "Oh, frolicking is easy. You just do it like this."

***frolic***

"Huh…"

"Yep! In fact, I knew a Nohrian knight who'd join us sometimes! …Actually, I think Ryoma and Scarlet were beating him up a while back… Ah, I'm sure he's fine. Hey speaking of Nohrians, did we ever make it to Wolfskin Peak like we were planning? I know their leader; we like to hang out sometimes!"

"Uh… Oh, someone else is comin' up, let's pay attention to them instead!" Mozu pointed, catching sight of Felicia, whom was winded.

"Geez… you guys! Ya gotta wait up for us!" After Felicia caught her breath, she looked around the room. "Wait, did you already beat everyone in here? Aww, I wanted to fight one!"

* * *

**_ROOM 6!_ **

Finally, the two groups rejoined in the sixth room. Although there was no time for rest, as more ghostly soldiers awaited. Two specters resembling Great Masters greeted their respective halves of the Hoshidan forces.

Silas gasped. "They're like evil Azamas!"

"Or just regular Azamas, to be honest," Azura added.

"Azama's a ghost?!"

"Why do I bother…"

The ghostly Great Master on the western side ran up to the party. The fearless Mozu ran up to meet her opponent. The Great Master swung its naginata, and it bounced harmlessly off the farm girl.

"Shucks, you're a few years too early to be fightin' me! Now to reap what ya sewed!" Mozu then swung her naginata… and only did average damage to the ghost. "…Huh?" She struck again, and still only had an average effect. "…Awww…"

Ryoma's eyes lit up. "Aha! That means I've returned to full power! YOU DIE… NOW!" He ran up and jump-slashed one of the Great Masters with Raijinto. Azura held a note, allowing Ryoma to quickly swing his blade, and conjure lightning unto the other foe. "That takes care of that."

"But… but my power…" Mozu pouted.

Scarlet smirked. "That was pretty cool, Ryoma!"

"Eh. I've seen better," Jakob contradicted.

Kamui walked over to the central stairway. "So this should be the final room, just up ahead. With all the weird ghosts, who knows what the next guy will be like? Let's stay on our guard."

"Nah, let's just throw Ryoma at them," Azura said. "Other than the last two rooms, it usually works for us." She put a finger to her chin. "Come to think of it, the lightning from Raijinto probably would have killed those ghosts in those rooms too. So yeah."

Jakob shook his head. "Well. Good to know he would rather regale milady with ceaseless chattering about their mothers than contribute to keeping the army alive."

Ryoma looked back at Jakob. "Is there something you wish to say about me? _Nohrian?_ "

"Ryoma don't be racist," Kamui said. "He's just jealous because Hana said-"

"M-milady! Now is not the proper time nor place!"

"As if that's stopped anyone in this army…" Azura muttered.

* * *

**_ROOM 7!_ **

True to the plan, Ryoma was sent to deal with the final enemies in the sanctuary. There was a phantom Berserker and two Phantom Swordmasters. The two ghostly samurai ran toward the prince with lightning speed.

"Oh no!" Ryoma blocked their swords with his own… only to find that the ghosts missed by a mile. They quickly swung their swords again, but still missed. They kept attacking over and over, but never struck him. "Well… This is admittedly a disappointing final challenge. See your deaths."

Raijinto summoned two lightning bolts to take out the ghosts, but then the illusory Berserker stomped over to Ryoma. The samurai smirked. "Go on, then. I welcome a chall-AAAAH!"

He was sent flying into the wall, courtesy of the Berserker's club. Hinoka and Kamui quickly ran into the room. The Falcon Knight gasped. "Oh no! Ryoma! Are you okay?!"

Ryoma was stuck in a wall. "Urgh… hi there Hinoka, remember to eat your vegetables, or Father's gonna get mad…"

Hinoka looked back at the Berserker. "All right, you! This is it!"

The princess heroically spun her naginata and brought it down with all her might, as her Pegasus flew forward. The Berserker was cleaved in half, forcing it to vanish as all the defeated ghosts have. Kamui smiled.

"Wow, that was incredible! You and Ryoma are so tough!"

"Heh, thanks. Now, go heal Ryoma while I bring the others in here."

* * *

With everyone ready, the army entered the back room of the sanctuary and found-

"Yo dang ol' breaking and enterin' man got no respect for property, tryin'ta take a nap here man, dang ol' ghosts meant to keep ya out," droned the old man from town. Takumi raised his eyebrow.

"You _? You're_ the Rainbow Sage?"

"Yo."

"Well why didn't you say so?! We're trying to win a war, here!"

The sage scoffed. "Man, so many wars these days dang ol' Garon man, always fightin' the other countries, all the resources, people, too much fighting, people only just wanna keep fighting man, dang ol' armies just wantin' power boosts, man, gotta make 'em work for it, y'know?"

"…I almost understood that," Takumi said.

Kamui looked around awkwardly. "Sooo… May we have the power boost now?"

"Nah man, you got power already, man, dang ol' Yato, y'know, came all this way, all them ghost soldiers, climbin' the mountain, talkin' 'bout dang ol' _willpower_ , man."

"So, we're already stronger?" Kamui asked. The sage merely nodded. "Cool! Thanks… I think."

"Hmm…" The sage stepped closer to both Kamui and Takumi. "Meh, probably help some more, fuse yer weapons' power, make 'em work together, like two peas in a pod are better than one, man."

Jakob narrowed his eyes and turned to Kaden. "I don't think I trust this old man to be stand so close to milady."

"That's nothing, you should've seen Mozu earlier."

The sage put his hands on Kamui and Takumi's heads and focused.

"Aah!"

"Gah!"

The room lit up and everyone but the sage shielded their eyes. When everything returned to normal, Kamui looked at Yato. It was different. The blade was brighter, and a little longer, and the hand guard resembled a wing. "Whoa! Yato's different now!"

Takumi pouted. "Aw, Fujin just looks the same…"

"Dang ol' Noble Yato, man. Turn into Blazing Yato when the time is right, man. Now git goin', man, gotta war to win, right?"

Kamui nodded. "Thank you." Then something hit her. "Hey, you know a lot of things, right? Do you… Do you know where I come from?"

Ryoma frowned. "Kamui…"

"It's not like that, Ryoma," Kamui assured. "My place is in Hoshido with you guys. But still… It'd be nice to have some answers, wouldn't it? Just for closure."

"All right…"

The sage seemed taken aback. "Huh… Yeah man, I know. But dang ol' Garon, man, ain't gonna wait for nobody, man, come back after the war, I tell you, man."

"Really? Well… all right. I'll see you again sometime, Rainbow Sage."

"Yo."

* * *

Everyone gathered in town, as Izana prepared to use the Warp Book.

"All right, guys! Time for me to be useful again! Tough luck, Mozu."

The farmer merely glared at Izana. Silas put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Mozu. I didn't do anything at all."

"Thanks, Silas…"

"Hey. Silas." Scarlet's voice caught the knight and farmer's attention. "Hinata tells me you're actually an okay guy. So I'm sorry for doubting you all this time."

"You doubted me? What for?"

The Wyvern Lord shrugged. "Well, you kinda mysteriously disappeared in the middle of our bunker in Cheve getting attacked. Not to mention you were a Nohrian knight among a group of Hoshidans."

"Wait, aren't you a Nohrian knight in a group of Hoshidans?" Silas asked.

"Uh… well, yeah… But I mean-"

"Corrin- I mean Kamui- is my best friend! I would never betray her!"

Mozu looked up to him. "I thought I was your best friend."

"I saw us as more of a budding couple."

"You what?!" Mozu blushed furiously. But then after a moment, she regained composure. "I'm… strangely okay with that."

Scarlet's eyes went wide. "Huh. Now I'm privy to a new couple. But still, you talk about being Kamui's best friend, but I don't see the two of you talking to each other a lot."

"Well, she's been trying to connect with her new-old family, so I thought she might like some space for now."

"Huh… That's more thoughtful than I'd given you credit for." Scarlet grinned. "Y'know, you're all right, Silas."

"Soon, we'll be warped right back to Nohr!" Izana announced. "We're not forgetting anyone, are we?"

Jakob looked over at Kamui. "You know, milady, Rinkah is still rooting through the garbage nearby. We could still leave her behind."

"Jakob!"

"Oh, fine…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter ties off a few subplots. Kamui finally gets a moment to bond with Ryoma, Scarlet finally gets over Silas (even though Hinata misreported to her) and Silas and Mozu are an item now. We also get more of Azura trying to connect with the Hoshidan siblings.
> 
> Kaden apparently knows Benny and Keaton already, which was just a joke. However it's decidedly less funny in the counterpart Conquest chapter I'm posting today...
> 
> In the game, the chapter's gimmick was that the enemies had one exaggeratedly high stat, and one exaggeratedly low stat. They're also all described as illusions, so I had fun portraying that in this chapter. I also used the same format as in the Conquest version of this chapter, where we go back and forth between two main parties until they reconvene at the end of the sanctuary. All the while, Izana demonstrates classism, Lilith helps out, Mozu goes mad with power, and Ryoma reveals just how weird Mikoto was.
> 
> You thought "groans of increasing discomfort" was bad? Some of the supports have really dumb narrations. Kaden's frolicking was taken right out of his support with Peri in Revelation, asterisks and all. I made a joke on tumblr about Shigure's singing in a similar manner.
> 
> Not a whole lot to say about this chapter. To me, it's not a bad chapter, but it's more of a utility chapter. This is a chapter more about getting certain things done and forwarding the plot. Of course I'm going to stuff in as many jokes as I can think of, but still. Does that make any sense?
> 
> Next time, we go back to Nohr.


	15. Gut Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iago traps the Hoshidans in an ancient dragon's belly. Azura can sing to let them out, but everyone has to shut up first.

Thanks to the magic of the Warp Book, the Hoshidans made it back to Nohr.

"Hey, this isn't the forest," Takumi said. Izana waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, we're not going back where we left off! Who knows who'd expect us there? Instead, we're by Fort Dragonfall!"

Everyone looked at the fortress beside them. Ryoma nodded.

"Fort Dragonfall. A fortress built from the remains of an ancient dragon. If I recall, Haitaka and a few guys went AWOL in a fool's errand to try and take this fortress around a month ago. But it's too deep in Nohrian territory, and it's so old and empty. Why would we even want it?"

"Who's Haitaka?" Kamui asked. Takumi shrugged.

"Eh, he was just a weirdo who somehow made it into the upper ranks."

Kamui then took another look at the Noble Yato. "This sword… I almost feel like the last few hours since fighting Leo were all a dream."

"DON'T BE FOOLED," Ryoma warned. Kamui stared at him.

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Uh… So let's go to Fort Dragonfall! Maybe we can rest in there for a while! It is said to be abandoned, after all."

* * *

When the Hoshidans entered the basement of the fortress, they had noticed a strange substance pooling in certain areas of the floor. In addition, a horrible stench had assaulted their nostrils.

"Gah!" Hinoka was wincing. "It's like something died in here! Everywhere in here!"

Jakob, who had covered his nose with his gauntlet, stared at Hinoka. "Likely because this fortress is made from the corpse of a dragon. Do try to keep up."

"Shut up, Jakob! I already know that! But I'd think the smell would've gone away in the thousands of years the dragon's been here!"

Sakura nervously turned up to the ceiling. "Uh, d-do you guys hear a heartbeat?"

"Gee, you're that nervous?" Mozu asked. "Try doing some deep breathing!"

"It's not me! At… at least I think it's not."

A familiar, smug voice graced all their ears. "Hello again, Hoshidans. Did you mmmmmmiss me?"

Everybody sighed at once, as soon as Iago teleported into the room. He immediately clenched his teeth and looked down, realizing he was standing in a puddle.

"OH! IT BURNS! AAAH!" He immediately ran out of the puddle. His footwear had been eaten away, and his bare shins and feet were raw. "Gaaah… Lousy stomach acid!"

Silas frowned. "Huh. Between the smell, the heartbeat and the stomach acid, it's almost like this place is still alive."

Iago looked up from his feet to glare at the Paladin. "Oh, so the idiot is the one to figure it out. That's right kids, I've used my mmmmagic to resurrect the dragon! You can now gasp."

Everyone gasped.

Iago's grin widened. "Yes, yes. Go on and mmmmull over your pitiful existences as this dragon digests you and King Garon will finally get what he wants."

"What if we just stay out of the acid pools?" Silas asked. "Can we do that?"

The sorcerer rolled his eyes. "The fortress is still transitioning. In time, it will be a full dragon again, and there will be nowhere safe to hide from the stomach acid." He then looked aside. "I wonder how the dragon will feel about all the fortress attachments added to its body. I'm sure there'll be at least one unpleasant surprise in store for the dragon, hoho!"

"And you're just going to let this dragon roam around the countryside?!" Kamui asked. "It could cause untold damage to innocent Nohrian towns nearby! You think it's worth all that just to get rid of us?!"

"Oh yes, a few dozen villagers who are already starving and jobless. Sure am going to mmmiss those guys. Hah! We'll get rid of you worms and have fewer of our own mmmmouths to feed! Honestly it's one of my mmmmost efficient plans yet!"

Takumi glared. "You… that's… You're pure evil!"

"The words of dead men don't perturb me. Goodbye." Iago brought out a tome and quickly vanished. The Hoshidans were all in awe. But before anyone could say anything more, the fortress shook, and the heartbeat underwent a slight pickup in speed. A few of the acid puddles also expanded.

"This is bad…" Kamui commented.

Scarlet looked disgusted. "Man. I knew Iago was a real piece of work, but this is _low!_ "

Silas shrugged. "So can't we just break through the wall? I mean, sure dragons are tough, but it's an _old_ dragon! Old people aren't tough!"

Kamui looked at him. "Gunter was tough."

"…Okay you have me there."

Azura decided to speak up. "Hey, what if I sing? It might counter Iago's spell."

"Are you sure?" Ryoma asked.

"I dunno. But my song's pretty much a cure-all for anything. Might as well."

Takumi glared at her. "Then what about in Macarath?!"

"Shh, sh-sh-sh."

"Grrr…"

Kamui looked around apprehensively. "Uh, Azura are you sure about this? I mean-"

"Well the alternative is to get digested by an ancient dragon, so it seems like the lesser of two evils," Azura said. Then she paused. "Wait, did you seriously try to bring up the curse?"

"Curse?" Hinoka asked. Then Azura sighed.

"Oh great…" Azura glanced at all the people in the room with her, notably at her siblings. "Yes, I'm cursed. If I sing _Lost in Thoughts All Alone_ too many times, I might die. Emphasis on _might_ , though. It's not a foregone conclusion."

"You're cursed?!" Sakura asked. "How did this happen?! What can we do?!"

Azura was about to say something, but Hinoka interrupted. "Azura, did Iago curse you or something while you still lived in Nohr? Don't worry, we'll make him undo it once we get our hands on him!"

"But-"

"Couldn't we just think of another way to escape?" Takumi asked. "I'd really rather we don't have to deal with another death."

"Well-"

"It's okay, Azura, we'll find another way," Ryoma assured.

Azura was about to speak up, but found no words. Her lips curved into a tiny smile. "Th-thank you for caring…"

Felicia looked over. "Azura, are you crying?"

"Uh, no! Shut up." Azura quickly turned away. Kamui walked closer to her, and she looked back up. "Look, I'll just sing part of the song. Maybe it won't affect me if I don't sing the whole thing. We don't even need a lot of it, just enough to delay the fortress's transformation."

"I don't like that… But I bet we don't have a choice," Kamui surmised. She turned to her siblings. "Guys? Can we let Azura do it just this once?" She then looked to the non-family members of the army. "How about it?"

Everyone kind of mumbled, but Ryoma then spoke up. "All right. Try not to overdo it. Is there anything we should know, to make it easier?"

"Just that my voice must be the only one in the fortress, so you all need to be quiet," she explained. Then she glared. "Oh great… Behind you, Ryoma!"

Ryoma (and really, everyone) all turned around to see a few Faceless roaming the hallways. Mozu shook her head.

"Again with the danged zombies!"

"Yeah, you might want to kill them off. I'll prepare the song in the meantime."

The oldest prince of Hoshido sighed. "All right, let's go…"

* * *

Ryoma had noted some Dragon Veins, thanks to literally being in a dragon, and used their energy to reduce the size of some of the puddles. He was the first to challenge some of the Faceless, and made short work of several of them, until a golden one appeared before him.

"Hmm. You look stronger than the rest. But I won't back down! You've breathed your-"

"HAHAHA!" Reina flew by on her Kinshi and chopped off the monster's head with her naginata in one motion. "What a wonderful death!"

Orochi was sitting behind Reina on the Kinshi and shook her head, until she saw Ryoma. "There he is! Land!"

Reina's Kinshi settled on the ground, and the two women approached Ryoma.

"Lord Ryoma," Orochi began, "we've been meaning to ask you something."

"Is that so? What do you need?"

Reina spoke next. "We're interested in our job security."

"Your what?"

Orochi sighed. "We were Lady Mikoto's retainers. But now that she's gone, who will we work for? You're going to be the next ruler, and you already have retainers. So what are we going to do?"

"Uh… Shouldn't you ask Yukimura?" Ryoma asked. "Or at least wait until after the war to worry about that?"

"You mean you haven't given it any thought whatsoever?" Reina asked.

"Well we've been kind of busy, Reina! Not only with the war, but I had to reach out to the Chevois resistance and-"

"Hahahahaha, that's seriously lame!" Orochi was having a laughing fit. "He'd rather run off and hang out with Scarlet's friends than do his job!"

"It was important!"

Reina shook her head. "Troubling times when our future king would prefer to run off to Cheve instead of lead us. Without even telling us about it."

"What? It wasn't a secret that I went to Cheve! I even told Orochi, so she could tell everyone!"

Orochi blushed. "…Ohhhh… So that wasn't a dream…"

"You thought it was a dream?!" Ryoma had lost his patience. "Are you serious?!"

"Uhhh…"

Ryoma put his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Okay… How about the two of you are Kamui's retainers?"

The purple-haired Onmyoji was grateful for the shift in subject. However, "Lady Kamui already has, like, three retainers already! She's got Felicia, she's got Jakob, she's got Kaz… Uh, Kaze might still come back."

"That Silas fellow sure seemed attached to her, as well," Reina added.

"Fine, go be Azura's retainers then! It's about time she had some anyway… Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"Hello!" a random Swordmaster walked up to the three. "It is I, Samurai! Formerly stationed at Bottomless Canyon, Samurai was the one who defeated General Hans! Then Samurai was recruited by Haitaka to take over this fortress! But when Haitaka and the others left to become street performers, only Samurai was left in the fortress! Do you have a job for Samurai, Lord Ryoma?"

Ryoma sighed. "I sure _can_ wait to be king…"

* * *

Azura was not fighting, as she needed to preserve her strength for the song. But to keep her safe, Sakura and Felicia stayed with her.

"Azura h-how'd you get cursed?" the priestess asked.

The golden-eyed woman took a moment to consider her answer. "…Well… A dragon did it."

"You mean this dragon?" Felicia asked. She glared and looked at the wall. "How dare you, dragon!" She ran over and prepared to punch the wall. "You had no right to do something so mean to Azura!"

"Uh… Should I tell her..." Azura trailed off. "Nah." She looked back at Sakura. "But don't worry about it, it's not like it'll kill me. Probably."

"Wh-what? What do you mean 'probably'?"

Azura blinked. "…Shoot. Uhh, that's just to say that… uhh… Well…"

"Ow, my hand!"

Azura internally smiled. "Oh look, Felicia hurt her hand. Why don't you help her, Sakura?"

"Azura…"

"I'm a grown woman, Sakura, it'll take more than a curse to kill me. Now go heal Felicia."

"O-okay…" As Sakura went over to tend to Felicia, Azura frowned.

"…This is going to tear her apart…"

* * *

Kamui and Silas were fighting some Faceless together, and Kamui could not help but notice the joyful expression on the Paladin's face.

"You sure seem happy, Silas. What's up?"

He threw a javelin at a Faceless and successfully killed it. Then the knight turned to Kamui and smiled. "I'm in love, Kamui! Mozu and I are going to be a thing now!"

Kamui gasped. "Oh! That's great, Silas!" Then she frowned. "I didn't know you and Mozu liked each other. In fact, we really haven't spoken a lot, have we? Between that and forgetting you since you left the fortress… Wow, I'm a horrible friend."

"Hey it's fine. I know you've been busy trying to get along with your Hoshidan family. Oh, and war stuff. I figured we'd hang out more after the war or something."

"What… What are you doing after the war, anyway?"

Silas raised his eyebrow. "Oh. Well I was gonna go back to being a knight. Maybe check on my parents. Something tells me Iago and Xander aren't going to tell them that I'm doing fine."

"Uh… Really?" Kamui awkwardly looked around. "Silas, a lot of people in Nohr aren't going to be happy with you… You know that, right? Since you're blatantly fighting with Hoshido?"

"Yeah, but by then Garon will be gone, and then Nohr will be cool and groovy again!"

"…Hey Silas, want to stay with us in Hoshido after the war? And bring your parents with you?"

"Yeah that'd probably work better," Silas quickly agreed. He then cupped his hands over his mouth and called over to Mozu, whom was shooting arrows at Faceless. "HEY! MOZU! WANNA STAY WITH ME AT THE HOSHIDAN CASTLE AFTER THE WAR?"

Mozu looked over. "…'KAY." Then she went right back to fighting. Kamui winced.

"Huh, I didn't consider that… Wow I'd really better clear this with Ryoma before anything else." Then she paused. "Wait, since when did Mozu have those fancy clothes? I thought she was still in her villager dress."

"Oh, she looted a Master Seal off one of the ghosts in the sage's sanctuary," Silas explained.

Jakob walked up to Kamui. "Lady C…Kamui."

"Yay, you did it! Uh, I mean, what's the status, Jakob?"

The butler nodded. "Your suspicions were correct. There is indeed a Faceless spawning the rest of the Faceless."

"All right." She looked over. "Silas, want to help me take on the main Faceless?"

"Sure! Up ya go!" He immediately grabbed Kamui by the arm and set her down behind him on the saddle. In truth, she was lying on her stomach, as Silas immediately charged off. "And together we ride!"

"Silas waaaaait!"

Jakob just stared. "…He's going to kill her."

_Hello darkness, Jakob's friend… he's come to talk with you again…_

* * *

Takumi growled to himself, while he and Hinoka teamed up against Faceless. "Freaking Iago… I should've shot him when I had the chance!"

"I should've flown right over and cut his head off," Hinoka said. Scarlet gave them both some odd looks.

"Huh. And people always say the Hoshidans are a peace-loving bunch…"

"Wh-wha… Hey, the Nohrians started it!" Takumi argued. His sister nodded.

"Yeah, and now we're gonna finish it!"

Scarlet winced. "Uh… Okay. Just saying, you guys are awfully vengeful…"

"Aren't you the one who dragged my retainer into figuring out Silas is a traitor or not?" countered the Sniper prince.

"Hey! Suspicion and revenge are two completely different things!"

* * *

Azura, Sakura and Felicia had returned to their position, when Orochi and Reina approached.

"Hey Lady Azura!" Orochi greeted. "We're going to be your retainers now."

"Just point to anything you'd like me to kill, and I shall!" announced Reina.

Azura blinked. "I get retainers now? Okay... Uh… Go back to fighting Faceless."

Orochi and Reina shrugged, and returned to their work.

* * *

"That is not a Faceless!" Kamui shrieked.

Kamui and Silas saw a swarm of giant, electrical jellyfish, all floating around the fortress/stomach's main chamber. In the center of that chamber was a strange, fleshy organism with three limbs attached to the 'ceiling'.

"Well… it doesn't have a face, so it technically counts…" Silas offered.

Then all the jellyfish attached themselves to the organism's wide, spherical base, and three more limbs appeared to point in Kamui and Silas's direction.

**_Bio-Electric Anemone_ **

**_BARINADE_ **

The monster shot lightning from its limbs, forcing Silas's horse to run out of the way. It circled around the monster, carrying its riders out of harm's way.

"What is that?!" Kamui cried. Silas focused on keeping his horse going around in circles. "Well, I guess what's important is that we get rid of it! But… would that kill the dragon? Is this a part of the dragon or not?"

"Do you have a smaller version of _that_ inside you?" asked Silas.

"I… I don't _think_ so! But I also don't think I'm the same kind of dragon as this fortress!"

The horse kept riding around, just fast enough to avoid the lightning shots. Things were looking bad, until an arrow hit one of the ceiling-hugging tentacles, severing it. Kamui looked for the culprit, and found Takumi sniping at a second tentacle.

"Takumi! Good job!"

"I've got your back, Sister!" He then fired a third arrow, severing the third tentacle. Suddenly, Barinade emerged from the ground, and began gliding around the chamber, with the electric jellyfish separating from the main body and spinning faster and faster. And one of them was headed straight for the Sniper prince.

"Oh no…" He got shocked and tackled, thus sent flying into a wall. "Aaaaaah!"

"Takumi!" The princess glared at the monster. "All right, this ends now! Silas, look after Takumi!"

"Huh?"

Kamui jumped off the horse's back and transfigured her arm into a dragon mouth again. She fired water spurts at the jellyfish, causing them all to dissipate. "…Huh, those went down a lot easier than I thought. Oh well." She shrugged and then shot the spherical main body of the beast, causing it to sink into the fleshy ground.

Silas rode up to Takumi. "Hey buddy, how ya doing?"

"Ow… I hurt a lot… Please stay away…"

"Now is that any way to talk to your friend?"

"We're not… friends…"

"Of course we are!"

With Barinade stuck in the ground, its three remaining limbs began to fire at Kamui again, but she dodged out of the way until she was close enough to the main body. Then she plunged Noble Yato into the monster's body and dragged it along, causing the beast to spray green fluids as it wriggled in pain.

"Aaah, gross!"

Despite that, she kept stabbing Barinade until it finally died. Every single spot on its body swelled up… and the beast exploded, leaving debris everywhere. Kamui shuddered.

* * *

Everyone made it back to Azura, Sakura and Felicia. However, Kamui was still covered in green gunk from the monster.

Takumi sniffed her. "Bleh. You reek, Kamui."

Kamui turned to face her brother. "I healed you. I can make you hurt again."

"Shutting up now."

Silas put his arm around Ryoma. "Hey Lord Ryoma. You wouldn't mind letting me and Mozu stay in the palace with the rest of your guards after the war, right? I'm probably not going to be let back into Nohr. Oh, and we'd have to find a house for my parents to stay in."

"Sure, why not," Ryoma was entirely deadpan. "Seems like everyone wants _something_ from me today."

"Samurai declares this mission a success!" declared Samurai the Swordmaster. Hinoka turned to face him.

"…Samurai, is that you?"

"Well now that we're all gathered, time for me to sing. So everyone be quiet," Azura ordered. The soldiers all sealed their lips, as Azura took a deep breath. "Maaaaaaah. Gnyuuuuuuuuuuh. Tpbhhhhh…."

"Um, Azura?" Sakura broke the army's silence.

"Sorry, just doing some vocal warmups."

"You couldn't have done them while we were fighting?" asked Jakob. "The fortress could become a dragon at any moment and eat us!"

"Oh fine… Ahem. _YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, I! FEEL! LIKE AN ATOM BOMB! BLOWING ME OUTTA MY MIND! CAN'T! TAKE IT ANYMORE! TEARING ME FROM THE INSIDE!"_ As Azura sang the song, the dragon's stomach began to resemble a fortress again. " _FEEL! LIKE AN ATOM BOMB-_ "

"Everyone! Let's go!" Ryoma ordered.

All the Hoshidans, including a singing Azura, ran out the stairs leading out of the fortress. They put a good distance between themselves and the old dragon.

Izana greeted them at the forest nearby. "Hey gang! I stopped to use the bathroom, and next thing I know, you're all inside a giant dragon! So, what'd I miss?"

Azura plopped onto the grass and began to slowly fade away.

"Azura!" everyone cried out at once.

"Oh… Now I _really_ feel like an atom bomb…" She lazily turned onto her back to look at everyone. "Guys… I'll be fiiiiiine. Thissis… this is nuthin… 'v'had worse…"

Sakura was shuddering, and already on her knees, waving a festal over Azura's body. "K-Kamui, Hinoka, you can heal too now, right? Wh-why aren't you helping?!"

"Oh, right!" Hinoka agreed. "Kamui, get your servants to help!"

"Right…"

* * *

The healers combined could not help Azura, but eventually she came around on her own.

"Ugh… Huh? Are we still by Dragonfall? We need to go… Iago knows about us…"

Kamui's gaze hardened. "Azura, tell me about your curse already! Tell all of us!"

"I said I'll be fine!"

"You said 'probably fine'!" Sakura countered. "That wasn't fine at all! Why won't you let us help you?!"

Azura frowned. "Fine… The song uses my amulet… I have to use… a certain amount of power… but too much, and this happens…"

"Why's that?" Hinoka asked.

"Well, that's part of the curse. But guys, it's fine. We're good… I'm feeling better, and I don't have to sing the song anymore. I mean really, what else could happen? Trapping an army inside an ancient dragon's stomach really isn't the kind of thing you can do more than once."

"…She has a point," Ryoma said. "For now, we should move. Because she also has a point about Iago keeping tabs on us. If only we knew how he'd tracked us…"

Scarlet looked over in Silas's direction… and dismissed the thoughts she had once welcomed.

"This might be a bad time to ask," Silas started, "but is anyone else getting a bit hungry?"

"After what we just went through?!" Takumi cried.

"Well, you see a stomach, you think 'stomach', then you think 'when was the last time something went in my stomach', and then-"

"No! You have a problem!"

"Samurai agrees with this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll get this out of the way- I'm not updating next week. I need a break from working on this. I've been updating consistently ever since the Cheve chapters, so I like to think I've been doing well on that part. And Chapter 20 of each route seems like a good a place as any.
> 
> The good news is, I'm getting more of an idea for what I want to do with the Revelation story. I'll give more details on that later, but I'll say this much- I'm considering giving Lilith an even bigger role than normal. Nothing concrete yet, however.
> 
> Anyway, notes about this chapter: As much as I don't care for Azura, I wanted to give her a scene of the Hoshidan family reassuring her in some form. There has been a running plot thread of Azura realizing they do care about her, and trying to connect with them in the same way as Corrin. (Mind you, I don't hate Azura, I just don't particularly care about her.)
> 
> I have wondered what Orochi and Reina would do, post-Birthright/Revelation, so this chapter discusses their futures. We also see through Scarlet's eyes that the Hoshidans are a little vindictive. Now... I've seen a lot of fics try to play up the ugliness of Hoshido, to try to make them just as dark as Nohr. And I get it, canon is biased toward Hoshido. But... I don't know, something about how every writer wants to make Hoshido look darker... It just stops appealing after a while. Not that I'm innocent of Fates fic cliches myself, I'm definitely not the first to say "Corrin = Nohr/Kamui = Hoshido".
> 
> Corrin and Silas get a moment together in this chapter. While Silas explained why they haven't been talking in the last chapter, I still wanted them to be able to have a moment to show, yes, they are still friends. We also get an idea of what will happen to Silas after the war. Also, they fight the third boss from Zelda: Ocarina of Time! That one just kind of came to me as I was writing the chapter, and I thought it'd be funny. Strangely, this isn't the first time I've inserted a Zelda boss into an otherwise unrelated fic.
> 
> Lastly, Azura was singing Atom Bomb, by Red Vox. With all my Vinesauce/Vinny jokes, it was a matter of time before I joked about his band.
> 
> So that's Birthright's Fort Dragonfall. After next week, the infiltration of Nohr continues, and a certain older man finally joins the front lines.


	16. How Yukimura Met Your Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukimura decides to join the front lines, and tells everyone how Mikoto first arrived in Hoshido. Oh and something about a lava river.

Back in Hoshido, Yukimura stood in Mikoto's old throne room.

"…It sure is quiet without Her Majesty and the children around." He sighed. "I wonder what they're up to… How much did Lady Mikoto foresee…?"

…

_"Oh hi Yukimura, thanks for coming in!"_

_The mechanist smiled. "Oh no problem at all, Your Majesty. What's the matter?"_

_"I'm going to die soon," she said simply._

_Yukimura blinked._

_"…What?"_

_The queen looked up thoughtfully. "Well I just had a vision, and I saw myself dying." She grinned. "But I'll also get to see Kamui again!"_

_A gasp. "Wait, did she die?!"_

_"Oh! Uh, no, I meant to say that she'll be in Hoshido again! Yukimura, my daughter will come back!"_

_"That's… wonderful, but what about the part where you die, milady?"_

_Mikoto let out a deep breath. "I… don't actually mind. It happens to everyone eventually. But if I can hold my baby one last time, see that she's grown into a happy adult, that's all I can ask for. My children will all be together again."_

_"Oh… Oh wow. That's… a lot to just drop on someone, to be honest," Yukimura said, rubbing his neck._

_"I know. But Kamui will-"_

_"No, I meant me! Milady, do you know how much planning it's going to take to keep us afloat with you out of the picture? Dear heavens, I'll have to alert-"_

_"No Yukimura, no alerting. I don't want to trouble anyone, but I had to tell_ someone… _" She smiled sadly. "So I told you. You've always been there for me and Sumeragi… Oh and you're also the tactician, so it'd be good for you to know that the barrier will fall once I die."_

_"Oh yeah… That… I'll think of something…"_

…

"Hmm… With Sumeragi gone... Ikona gone… and Mikoto gone… I'm the only parental figure they have left. They're all adults now, with retainers of their own, but…" He looked at the throne again. "No, for her sake and King Sumeragi's sake, I must see to it their children survive!"

A Kinshi Knight barged in. "Yukimura! The Mokushujin are aiding Nohr! Shall we send a message to Lord Ryoma?!"

Yukimura dramatically pointed to the ceiling. "No! I shall go there myself!" He lightened up and shrugged. "I mean, we have automata, Fort Jinya, and the Great Wall, so we can't be doing that badly."

"O-okay… But who's going to be in charge while you're gone?"

Then the mechanist frowned. "Hmm… Good question…" His eyes drifted around the room, until he saw a certain cat cuddling up to his ankles.

"MEOW."

"Perfect!"

* * *

"Gah! Danged Iago, can't even kill 'em right!"

Garon was steamed. Iago had failed yet again, making that his third one now. "Gonna have to kill 'im, no-good, lousy, sidewindin' little-"

…

"Huh, what does that word mean again?" Elise asked herself, standing outside the door to the throne room.

"Elise, what are you doing?" asked Xander.

"Aaah!" She turned around. "Uhh… eavesdropping. WAIT, NO!"

The prince sighed. "Elise, if Father found out you were eavesdropping, he'd have you killed without a second thought."

Elise made a weird noise that was somewhere between a sob and a moan.

"Elise?"

"I hate it, Xander! Our family is broken now! Father's angrier than usual, Corrin left, Camilla's gone crazy, and Leo…" She calmed down for a moment. "Wait, where _is_ Leo?"

Xander looked around. "Huh, you're right, I haven't seen him lately. Weird." He turned back to Elise. "But Elise, don't worry about it. It'll all be fine."

"How?!"

The older brother heroically looked to the distance and held a fist over his heart. "Because I believe."

"…Seriously?! Believe what?! Father will never forgive Corrin ever! A lot of Nohrians will never forgive Corrin! And even if Corrin came back, what about her other family? What about them?"

Xander narrowed his eyes. "You mean the family that did nothing for her, yet apparently mean much more to her?"

"B-but that wasn't their fault! Corrin got kidnapped! And you heard her, she didn't just leave us for that! She hates Father, Xander! And he hates her back! Our family will never get back together and I hate it!"

"Don't worry, Elise. When we meet again," his eyes narrowed in determination, "I'll remind Corrin of how she's broken our family."

"That's not what I meant!"

* * *

Elsewhere, the Hoshidans were on a ship. Kamui was looking out over the side, and felt a pain in her chest.

"What's wrong?" Azura asked her.

"I don't know, I just have a bad feeling." She looked over. "Hey, you know how Mother was apparently prophetic?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think I have that? Because sometimes I have dreams about things, and they eventually happen. Like that day by the border, I had a dream about it long before it happened."

Azura shrugged. "Maybe you do. At least to a lesser extent."

The albino princess looked out thoughtfully. "I wonder if I can hone that ability. It'd sure come in handy."

"Hey, why are we on this boat, anyway? Dragonfall wasn't that far from Windmire."

Kamui sighed. "Well, if you weren't so out of it from that curse of yours, you'd remember that we realized it'd be too dangerous to continue that path. Then Felicia remembered that the Rainbow Sage gave us a map before we left, and Ryoma figured we could use that to find another route."

The singer looked around. "And where'd we get a boat, exactly?"

"Oh, it was just sitting in the port town near Dragonfall. No one even batted an eye, it was weird."

"Sisters," Ryoma's deep voice snapped the princesses out of their discussion and they focused on him. "I have some good news and some bad news." He winced. "The bad news is that they don't have chopsticks on this boat. So we'll have to learn how to use Nohrian cutlery." Kamui quietly sighed with relief. "Also, Yukimura reported that the Mokushujin are helping the Nohrians to invade Hoshido while we're gone."

"Aaah!"

"Gods, Ryoma! Way to bury the lead!" Azura cried.

"Oh… Yeah I guess I did, didn't I?" Ryoma winced for a second time. "But there's still good news. Everyone, please say hello to Yukimura himself."

The old man made an appearance, bowing before the royals. "Greetings, milady. And milady. I've decided to help you directly."

Kamui smiled. "Oh! Well it's nice to see you again, Yukimura!"

Takumi walked up to everyone. "Hey, uh, guys? Are we really going to a place called 'Demon's Fall'? That waterfall made of fire? I can't imagine anything good will happen." His eyes widened. "Yukimura, when'd you get here?!"

* * *

Before long, the boat had docked in a mountainous region. Sure enough, fire acted in the place of water. If one wished to prove Nohr was not entirely a wasteland, this would not be the place for a demonstration. Rather, a demon-stration.

…Moving on.

"Wow. I always knew Garon was evil, but this is literally a burning wasteland," Scarlet said. "I'm almost impressed. Uh, how'd it get this way again? This area, I mean."

Jakob stepped forth. "You see, some underground oil had gotten mixed into the water, and then someone set the river on fire. And this is the result."

"Aw man. I was kinda hoping it'd be something cooler."

"Cooler? It's a burning river. If you wanted frost, you may go back to the Ice Tribe village," Jakob brushed her off.

"That's not what I meant by 'cooler!'"

"So how do we get across?" asked Hinoka. Ryoma shrugged.

"Eh. We'll just use Dragon Veins. They haven't let us down yet."

* * *

The quest began. Everyone moved along to find the nearest Dragon's Vein. Kamui found herself with newcomer Yukimura. The first thing that struck her about Yukimura was the fact that he was riding atop a mechanical lion. She decided to learn more.

"So Yukimura, we haven't really had a lot of time to get to know each other," Kamui said.

"Indeed we haven't."

The princess looked about curiously. "I was thinking… While we're just looking for the Dragon's Vein… I have a question. Did you know… about me?"

He stiffened immediately. "Uhhhh- Wh-wh-whatever do you mean milady?"

She sighed. "That I'm not Sumeragi's daughter."

"Uhhh, NO! Not I!" His eyes nervously darted back and forth.

"Yukimura…"

"Oh, fine…" Yukimura cleared his throat. "Yes, I'm afraid I knew that as well. I was actually there when your parents first met each other, in fact."

Kamui gasped. "Ooh! Story time!" She called back some distance behind her. "Felicia, get over here! Yukimura's going to tell me about my parents!"

"I'm coming, Lady Kamui!"

"R-really? Right now?"

The half-dragon shrugged. "I mean, why not? We can still keep our eyes peeled for the Dragon's Vein."

Felicia ran up, holding popcorn. "I'm here!"

"Well… All right, then." He pulled out a box. "It's a good thing I just happened to have my automatized picture book, on the off-chance that someone would like to know more about the royal family's history."

Kamui merely blinked. "Uh… Yeah, I guess it is."

"Ahem…"

…

_"So here's what I'm thinking," a younger Yukimura said. He had been demonstrating battle tactics for a younger King Sumeragi. "We put a treasure chest right in the open. But as soon as the Nohrian bandits open it, reinforcement automatically appear! And they get to attack the bandits immediately! We will destroy them all!"_

_Sumeragi, a man with great resemblance to Ryoma, scowled. "Yukimura, same-turn reinforcements are dishonorable."_

_"Yeah, so?"_

_"And next I suppose you'll tell me that, should one of the bandits slay our reinforcements, they would not even gain any benefits from doing so?"_

_"None whatsoever. Unless the bandits wanted to get better at their weapons or bond with the bandit standing next to them, our reinforcements would be a complete waste of time for them to fight! And they'll have no choice! Huahahahaha!"_

_Sumeragi massaged his temples. "Yukimura… No. We're better than that."_

_"Aww!"_

_Jakob walked in. "Lord Sumeragi, I-"_

…

"Wait, what?" Yukimura asked.

Kamui shrugged. "I dunno. You said that a servant walked in, so I just pictured Jakob." Her lips curved into a frown. "No offense, Felicia."

"No I get what you mean."

"Right…"

"So what'd the servant say?" Silas inquired.

"When did you get here?! Oh never mind… Let's see…"

…

_"There's a crazy lady with a baby at the front gates. Should… should we do something about that?" the servant asked. "She could be a Nohrian spy trying to sell those blasted girl scout cookies again."_

_The king's eyebrows arched. "Crazy lady… with a baby? That's interesting." He stood up from sitting on his knees. "Let's see who it is, Yukimura."_

_Before long, Sumeragi and Yukimura were at the entrance of Castle Shirasagi. A young adult with dark black hair casually leaned with one hand pressed against a stone column. Her other arm was carrying a white-haired baby. She made a show of looking around before finally noticing Sumeragi. "Oh! Hey, I didn't see you! How's it goin'?"_

_"Can… I help you?"_

_"Pff! Well, I don't really_ need _your help, but… uh," she looked down at the baby, "this girl here really insisted, and you know how kids are. Heh…" She smiled at her sleeping daughter. "But, uh, on the subject, we happen to be without a home, and I got separated from my family. You didn't happen to see them, did you?" She looked around and then leaned closer to the king. "Not to be blunt, but my sister was saying some saucy things about a certain king."_

_Yukimura also leaned in close to Sumeragi. "I don't trust her, milord. In fact, I'm not convinced that she didn't just find that baby on the road."_

_"I can hear you! And she's definitely mine, want to see my scars?!"_

_"Aah! N-no, I'll just… trust that they're there…"_

_"Wait…" Sumeragi gasped. "Mikoto, is that you?!"_

_"O-oh you remember me!" Mikoto expressed genuine surprise. As did Yukimura._

_"Wait, sire, when did you meet her? I would've known!"_

_"Well, remember that road trip Fuga and I took a while back?"_

_"…No!"_

_"Oh." Sumeragi rubbed the back of his neck. "Well it's a long story. But she's cool, Yukimura. We gave her some directions." He then turned to Mikoto with a smile. "So you seek asylum? What of your family?"_

_Again, Mikoto tried to play it cool. "Oh, uh, well… We got separated… And about that asylum, uh, yeah. If you insist… Like I said,_ I'm _good, but," she looked down, "this one here just wouldn't stop talking about how much she wanted to see the castle… Heh…"_

_"Well, it is not the Hoshidan way to ignore one in need. I'll go tell my wife."_

_"Your wife?!" Mikoto blurted._

_Yukimura rolled his eyes. "Oh boy."_

…

"Whoa! King Sumeragi was a stud!" Scarlet declared.

"Gah!" Kamui looked over, shocked at Scarlet's sudden appearance. Then Mozu's voice had the same effect.

"Golly, city folks sure do live differently than we did in our village…"

Felicia tilted her head. "So King Sumeragi had two wives? How does that work? Did Mikoto get to be his wife on weekends or something?"

"Actually," Jakob started, now with Kamui numb to more guests, "rulers are allowed more than one consort, depending on the realm. And of course there are the concubines."

"Lady Kamui, are you sure we should have this many Nohrians following us?" asked Yukimura.

She sighed. "Yes. We've been over this with Silas and Scarlet. Just… continue the story."

"Yeah, c'mon man!" Izana cheered out of nowhere.

…

_The young tactician watched as Mikoto and her baby were brought before Sumeragi and Ikona._

"What did Ikona look like?"

"I… don't remember, actually. Just use your imagination. Anyway-"

_"Uh, hello…" Mikoto nervously greeted. "So… I'm Mikoto… This is Kamui… And your husband might have already mentioned this, but we're, uh, kind of… homeless right now. If you… if you wanna put it like that."_

_The queen gasped and faced to her husband. "Well… Huh."_

_"We can't just leave her outside," Sumeragi said._

_"I wasn't saying we should! But Sumeragi, we don't have any other rooms. Not ever since that time Saizo's wife-"_

_"Say no more." The king shuddered. "So much dusting…"_

_Mikoto blinked. "So… is there a hotel or something? I'm just looking for my sister, to be honest." She looked aside. "Maybe she was going to the_ other _country… East and West are always hard…" She held the baby in front of her face and smiled. "What do_ you _think, Kamui?"_

_"Bah."_

_"No fooling?"_

_Ikona frowned. "We can't just let her and her baby go on like this…" She cleared her throat to get attention. "Do you have any special powers?"_

_"Uhh," Mikoto looked up from pretending to talk to her baby, "actually I do. I can see the future. Sometimes."_

_"Oh, like divination?" asked Sumeragi._

_"Yeah I guess."_

_Sumeragi and Ikona looked at each other at the same time and nodded. Then the king looked over at Yukimura._

_"I think we've finally found your new colleague."_

_"…Oh." He winced._

…

"Aww, I bet you were so cute!" Felicia immediately pinched Kamui's cheek.

"Ow."

Azura giggled. "For as devoted as you were to Queen Mikoto, it's weird to think you didn't like her at first."

Yukimura had long given up on asking from where more of the story's listeners had come. Instead, Kamui spoke up. "So how'd it get to the point where Sumeragi and Mother were the royal couple? What exactly happened to Ikona again?"

"Well, uh… She died a while after Lady Sakura was born." Everyone gasped. Yukimura nervously looked away. "Oh hey a Dragon's Vein! Someone go touch it!"

"I've got it," Azura announced. She walked up to the spot and focused, allowing a bridge to form. Everyone walked across, but they were greeted by a giant, rocky torso with a stone medallion for a face. "Oh wow that thing is ugly."

"I AM THE STONEBORN. YOU MUST ALL DIE."

"It can talk?!" Mozu shrieked.

"Not for long!" Scarlet flew over on her wyvern and readied her axe. With one swing, she severed the golem's right arm. "Axe beats rock!"

"I AM THE STONEBORN. YOU MUST ALL DIE."

Scarlet's eyes narrowed. "You already said that."

The faceplate lifted up, revealing a gaping hole in the monster's torso. Out of nowhere, the Stoneborn shot a boulder, scattering the cluster of Hoshidans.

**_X_ **

"No, not a strike!" Silas complained. "Anything but that!"

"I AM THE STONEBORN. YOU MUST ALL DIE."

"Okay, so I'll just try this!" Scarlet's wyvern turned around and the knight swung her axe again, this time sticking in the golem's back. It flailed in pain, and she smirked. "All right!"

Azura had been lying on the ground, but took the opportunity to slowly stand up, using her naginata as support. " _'TIS I! NEVER FEAR SIMON BELMONT IS HERE TO DESTROY EVIL MONSTERS AND ALL YOU HOLD DEAR! I WILL END YOUR CRUEL NECROMANCY..."_

From her position, Kamui gasped. "Azura, no!"

Scarlet found her energy renewed, and she managed another swing at the Stoneborn. "I AM THE STONEBORN. YOU M- AAAAAAAARrrrrr…" The earthen monstrosity froze up as the faceplate detached, slamming into the ground.

Suddenly, Hinoka flew over to greet everyone, with Sakura riding behind her. "I-is everyone alright? Who needs us to heal them?"

"I have a booboo!" Silas screeched.

"...So nobody needs any help?" asked Sakura.

As Azura clutched her stomach, and Mozu tended to Silas, Kamui and Felicia helped Yukimura fix his contraption.

"Why not just walk?" Felicia asked.

"This mount is capable of quicker travel, moves over dangerous terrain, and can fire arrows and shurikens. I wouldn't leave home without it!" He glared. "Not that it did us any good. I recall hearing reports of monsters like that one, and I didn't do a thing to stop it!"

"Hey, we all make mistakes," Felicia told him. "I make them all the time! In fact, I bet I'm making three mistakes right now without even knowing it!"

Kamui grimaced. "That… was almost reassuring. But yeah, don't worry about it, Yukimura. Just having you here will do wonders for my siblings, I'm sure of it!"

With everyone else busy, Izana went over to Jakob. "Say buddy, are we almost at Windmire yet?"

"Hmph. I am not your buddy."

"Well not with that attitude," Izana countered. "But c'mon. What's the ETA on Windmire?"

The butler sighed and pointed in the distance behind the Stoneborn's corpse. "There should be a tunnel over there, and that will take us very near Windmire."

Sakura looked over from tending to Azura. "Ooh! Ooh! What if the Rainbow Sage built the tunnel?!"

Jakob dully stared at her. "And why would that be fascinating?"

"Hey, don't shut her down like that!" Hinoka ordered. "You might be loyal to Kamui, but we're all on the same side here!"

The Archduke folded his arms. "That is true. Why are you prickly, Jakob?"

"I have nothing to say to you! I'm going to Windmire!" Jakob scrunched his face and began marching toward the distant tunnel.

"Uh, Jakob, shouldn't you wait for us?" Felicia asked.

"No!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how I took a week off so I could have a break and get ahead in this story? Well this chapter took me an entire week to write. I did meet my goal of writing 5 chapters (between the two stories) before today, but I'm saying this chapter really didn't come easily. Oh and I came up with the chapter title right here on the day of posting, in the doc manager. Normally I come up with these long in advance. That's how tough this chapter was.
> 
> I wanted to do something different with this chapter, and it's also the chapter where Yukimura finally joins the team. In the game, he joins about one or two chapters from now. But he's mentioned during this chapter so I figured now would be the time to bring him in. Yukimura was a bit tricky to think of anything for, considering how little screentime he has. So I think I just settled for making him the comedic foil to everyone's silliness, while exaggerating his Hoshidan nationalism. And to give him a little more limelight, that's when I decided on his storyteller role.
> 
> I'm not entirely sure how Mikoto met Sumeragi, so I took a cue from Apocryphal One's Invisible Princess. Of course, with my own spin on it. Other than that, this chapter is the first appearance of the Stoneborn. Corrin discusses the potential for her oracular powers: a headcanon of mine, that Corrin's dream in the prologue is actually a manifestation of future vision inherited from Mikoto. This will play a bigger role in my Revelation fic.
> 
> You might notice that there are no rotating guest characters in this chapter (as Yukimura will be in every chapter, much like Silas, Felicia, etc.) Starting with the next chapter, the character roster will add two guest characters (and Shura) and then stay the same for the rest of the story.
> 
> Also, Mikoto with a baby was surprisingly fun to write. She kept trying to play it cool in front of Sumeragi. And while she tried to pin the whole situation on baby Corrin, she did it affectionately. And the idea of her talking to her baby seemed cute.
> 
> Next time, we meet Shura.


	17. Fear and Loathing in Windmire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hoshidans finally make it to Windmire, where Shura provides the fear, and Oboro provides the loathing.

At last, the Hoshidans had made it to Windmire.

Oboro scowled. "Yeah, it looks like I thought it would. Bleak, lifeless, and ugly."

"Whoa!" Silas turned over to the Spear Master and winced. "I think you need to learn the Seal Racism skill, am I right?" Nobody liked the joke. "But seriously, there's a reason Windmire looks like this."

"Yeah, 'cause it's Garon's front yard!" Scarlet declared.

"Well… I mean… the famine…" The gray-haired paladin looked to his Hoshidan friend. "Kamui, you remember the famine, right? I brought it up when we met at Fort Jinya?"

Kamui squinted. "Hmm… I think I remember a throwaway mention of Nohr not having enough food…"

"Yeah! See, there aren't a lot of resources, so Garon figured 'hey why aren't the Hoshidans helping us?' So he asked, but they said no, and then he goes and invites the king to a peace conference in Cheve. But the king goes missing, and now there's a war."

"My foot! That was when Garon killed our father!" Takumi cried.

"Hey, I know that," Silas explained. "I'm just telling you what the Windmirans think. Windmirans? Windmirians? Windmirites? I wonder what the word is…"

Jakob stepped forth. "I believe I can explain as well. You see, for the last few generations, Nohr's land has been largely infertile. That means fewer farms, which means that crops, livestock and certain materials are in short supply. And with Nohr's cultural tradition of having large families, that means there's even less to go around. Combined with Nohr's geographical position, our nights last much longer as well, hurting the farmers even more."

Kamui then spoke up. "Wow… Living in Nohr sucks! Also, why didn't Gunter teach me any of this? Wow…"

"…He did," Jakob said. "Were you not paying attention during studies?!"

"Suddenly, the invasions make a bit more sense," Ryoma mused. He turned over to his tactician. "Yukimura. If we win this war, I don't believe it would be unreasonable to arrange some form of trade. We have more than enough food. What do you think?"

"Ha! These people killed King Sumeragi and Queen Mikoto! They deserve famine!"

Oboro nodded. "I like him. We should talk more."

"Yukimura don't be racist," Ryoma told him. "Wait, why didn't we help them to begin with?"

The mechanist shrugged. "Oh, I forget… Something about one of the merchant guilds wanting money or something. But still!"

"Hey! Keep it down, will ya?!"

Everyone glanced over to find the source of the voice. It was an older man with spiky white hair, and a tuft of black hair in the front. "How's a bandit supposed to make a living if we've got a bunch of tourists makin' noise in the main plaza?!"

"Thief?!" Oboro readied her naginata. "What are you, a highwayman?!"

He shrugged. "I guess you could say it's like tha-AAAH!" The Adventurer scurried away, as Oboro chased him. One Outlaw stuck his head from the bushes.

"Hey! Those tourists are attacking Mr. Shura! Get 'em!"

Hinoka sighed. "Oh boy…"

* * *

Everyone chased after Oboro in an attempt to keep her from doing anything rash. However, Silas was an exception. He grabbed Mozu and Lilith, and took them down one of the side streets.

"Silas, where are we going?" the farmer asked. "This is the wrong way!"

"No it's not, my parents' house is on this street!"

"Yer parents?!"

The Astral Dragon glanced at the knight awkwardly. "And why am I coming along?"

"Kamui and I were talking about it back in the fortress the other day. We gotta get my parents out of Nohr! And I still need to tell them I'm doing okay!" Finally, Silas's group reached the proper house. The Paladin went up to the door and performed the shave-and-a-haircut knock. "Mom, Dad, I'm back!"

The door was answered by a generic maid with blonde hair. "…Silas?"

"Hey Barbara! Can I talk to my parents?"

"I don't know, Silas. _Can_ you?"

The knight shook his head. "… _May_ I?"

"I'll go wake them up."

Silas, Mozu and Lilith all waited.

* * *

A team of sorcerers stepped out of an alleyway and hit Takumi with spells.

"Gaaah!"

"Takumi!" Ryoma cried out.

Yukimura glared. "How dare you! I shall teach you some respect!" Yukimura pressed a button on his mechanical lion. The mech reared up and spun its head, preparing to launch an arrow. But as it did so, the man fell off, and the arrow missed its mark entirely. "…I, uh, let you off with a warning!"

"Sure you did," said the sorcerer. "All right, boys, this one's for Mr. Shura!" They all flung fireballs at Takumi, Yukimura and Ryoma. But they all missed. The red Swordmaster leveled his fiercest glare at them.

"Now it's my turn!" With a swing of Raijinto, the lead mage was struck with a lightning bolt.

"Gaaah! Oh forget it, I never even liked Shura that much anyway! Retreat!"

The magicians all scattered, leaving Takumi and Yukimura free to recover. The Sniper sighed. "Of course. Leave it to Ryoma to solve all our problems. Again."

"Don't speak that way, Lord Takumi. You have your own merits too."

Takumi glanced at the mechanist. "I'm not selling myself short. I'm saying Ryoma's too powerful! Look at him! When was the last time he had any difficulty in anything?"

The samurai stroked his chin. "Well, there was that wolf guy… And the ghosts in that sanctuary…"

"Ryoma, I'm making a point!" Takumi shouted.

"Now, now, boys. We can discuss this later," Yukimura told the princes. "In the meanwhile, we should stop Lord Takumi's girlfriend from going on a rampage."

"G-girlfriend?!"

* * *

Hana, now a Swordmaster herself, was going all out against an Adventurer that had challenged her. She suffered an arrow grazing her side before she finally won. Jakob was nearby, and waved a Sun Festal in her direction.

"…Thanks."

"Quite."

The two awkwardly stared at each other for a moment.

"…Well, we should hurry."

"Indeed."

Azura was with them, and sighed. "Guys, just confront it already. You either like each other or you don't. You're both too old to be messing around like this, and we've got more important things to worry about."

"We're just rivals!" Hana said. "I can't help it if Jakob's got the hots for me!"

"What?! This rivalry was your idea!"

Azura shook her head. "Ugh. Whatever. I'm not your marriage counselor."

The songstress walked off, ready to rejoin the others. At that time, Jakob and Hana glanced at each other. Hana spoke first. "Should we just tell her that this whole rivalry-turned-crush thing was just a ruse so our lieges would stop yelling at us?"

"And ruin the fun? Lady Azura has far too many laughs at our expense. We can afford a few more."

"Yeah! Nice doing business with you, Jakob."

"Indeed."

* * *

The Paladin and the Villager-Merchant sat on a sofa, with an older couple sitting opposite them. The husband had the same cowlick as Silas, while the mother had his silvery hair.

"It's good to see you again, Silas," the mother said. "Last we heard, you went missing after being sent to take a fortress in Hoshido."

Silas nodded. "Yeah. I actually met Corrin there! Remember her?"

"Ah, the little lady from that Northern Fortress!" Silas's father recalled. "…Wait, didn't she betray our kingdom or some stuff like that?"

Their son wiggled his hand. "Eh, kinda. She thinks that King Garon went too far, what with the Faceless, the assassination of the King and Queen…"

"I knew it" Silas's mother hammered her fist into her hand. "I had a feeling Garon was up to something!"

"So yeah, my troops fled and I was left at Corrin's mercy, so she said I could join her! And after we beat up Garon, Prince Ryoma's gonna help Nohr with the famine!"

"Oooh, maybe we'll finally get some decent grub!" the father fantasized.

Mozu's eyebrow arched. "Huh. You weren't kiddin' when you said your parents were open-minded."

Silas's mother noticed Mozu and smiled. "Aww, who're you?"

"Um… I'm Mozume. Silas and I met a while ago… Now we're together. I think. We just recently decided it."

"Haha! That's my boy! He's always been more into 'cute' ones than 'hot' ones."

"Dad, you're embarrassing me!"

Lilith cleared her throat. "Uh, I'm Lilith. I used to work at the Northern Fortress, but now I'm a dragon. Lady Kamui- that's Corrin's true name- she worried that Nohr would not be kind to Silas nor his family after the war. So she offers this family a place to stay in Hoshido."

Silas's mother gasped and turned to her husband. "Ooh, honey, I've always wanted to visit Hoshido! We should go! Besides, we still never went on our honeymoon!"

"Ugh, I can't go a week without hearing about that! Fine, fine. We'll go to Hoshido with you guys. We really shouldn't be in the middle of your invasion, though."

Lilith set her crystal ball in Silas's hands, and the knight smiled. "That's where this comes in! Lilith's got a small fortress inside this thing. You can be safe there until we make it back to Hoshido!"

Both his parents blinked. "…Well, okay…" his mother said.

* * *

Scarlet's wyvern glided along the streets until she came across a maid. "Yo! Felicia! Have you seen-" The maid turned around, revealing herself to be an enemy maid. She glared at Scarlet and threw a dagger, which Scarlet's dragon narrowly avoided. "Whoa Felicia! Calm down, will ya?"

"I don't know who you're talking about! But you're with the psycho trying to kill Mr. Shura! He saved my life, and I won't let you end his!"

"Huh? Felicia, since when did you know that guy?"

Some enchanted sheets of paper stuck to the maid and zapped her with mild energy. She fell to the ground, fast asleep. The culprit was none other than Izana. "Aha! I've saved your life, Scarlet! Now you owe me a favor! …Can I ride your dragon, pretty, pretty pleeeeeease?!"

Scarlet blinked. "But… That was Felicia!"

"What? No it wasn't!"

"Well then who else was it?" Scarlet looked around. "I don't see Felicia anywhere. And that other maid died!"

"Ahem." Felicia's throat clearing caught the Wyvern Lord's attention. "I… don't like to hear about that."

"Oh. Sorry," Scarlet said. "Wait… How long were you standing there? Do you know that chick Izana just put to sleep?"

"No, should I?"

"Huh. I'm bad at telling maids apart, I guess."

* * *

"Get away from me already!" Shura cried out. Oboro was still coming after him with the naginata, that horrible scowl etched on her face.

"Just answer me one thing!"

"Gah, what is it?!"

Oboro took a deep breath. "Did you… Have you ever killed any tailors?"

"What?"

"Answer me! A man and a woman, two tailors, on the road, in Nohr, on the night of the New Moon! Did you kill them?!"

"No! New Moon is poker night, I can't miss that!"

Oboro's face lightened up. "Oh okay then."

"Phew…" He then whipped out his bow and notched an arrow. "Now hand over yer money!"

"What? Uh, _no!_ "

"You guys are cuttin' into my robbing time, and I need cash! Hand it over! I can shoot you before you get over here!"

"What about me?!" Hinoka called out. Shura gasped and instinctively fired at the princess's incoming Pegasus, wounding it and causing Hinoka to fly off and land on the ground.

"Gaaah… Defeated… Can't believe it… Owww…"

"How dare you?!" Oboro was suddenly right on top of Shura, her naginata ready to go. She tried taking some swings at the Adventurer before Kamui and Sakura arrived. The princesses gasped.

"Sakura, go heal Hinoka! I'll support Oboro!"

"R-right!"

Kamui charged for Shura, ready to assist her ally. Sakura tried sneaking behind Shura, but the thief stuck a leg out behind him, forcing Sakura to trip.

"Aaah!"

"Sorry, but I can't have more of you ganging up on me!"

"How dare you hurt my sisters! Oboro, get back! He's mine!"

Oboro witnessed Kamui's hand transforming, and she quickly retreated. The princess's hand became a dragon mouth, and she took hold of Shura with it. "Whoa, what is this?! Are you one of Iago's monsters?!" The jaws squeezed Shura even more. "Aaaaah!" Finally, Kamui threw Shura aside, until he hit the ground a few feet away. "Ow… Aw man, my bow broke… I still have the spare, but dang it..."

Kamui's hand reverted as she got down to help Sakura stand back up. "Are you okay Sakura?"

"Y-yes, I'll be fine. Th-thank you…"

The red-eyed princess waved a festal over Sakura regardless, and went over to tend to Hinoka and her newly-grounded Pegasus. As that happened, Ryoma arrived and picked Shura up by his hair. "Aaah!"

"You are in big trouble."

"Aw geez… If you're gonna kill me, at least don't draw it out."

Azura, Takumi and Yukimura stepped forth, and the singer held her hand out in objection. "Whoa, we shouldn't kill him yet. What if he knows a secret passage into the castle?"

"What, you think a thief is gonna be dumb enough to steal from King Garon directly?" Takumi asked. "No way! Kill him, Ryoma! We saw from far away what he did to our sisters!"

Ryoma's frown became less severe. "Wait, now I'm curious about the secret passage."

"Aw dang it Azura!"

"Azura?!" Shura blinked rapidly. He looked over at the woman. "You're Azura?! What're you doing back in Windmire?!"

Oboro helped Sakura walk over to Takumi's position, and she turned her head over to Shura. "What are you talking about?"

"Uh, I might've said too mu- Ow!" Ryoma slapped him with the hand not currently holding onto Shura's hair. "Okay, okay! A long time ago, some dweeb in Shirasagi asked me to kidnap Princess Azura, so I did. I even used the secret tunnel to do it."

"Hey, I'm not a dweeb!" Yukimura protested. "How rude."

"Huh. So we meet again," Azura said. "That's neat."

"And where is the tunnel?" asked Ryoma.

"What's it to me?" Slap. "Ow! Look, I've really lost all my motivation. I just found out my nemesis was killed over a month ago, so I really don't have anything to live for." Slap. "Oh come on!"

"You hurt Hinoka and Sakura, a slap to the face is the least you deserve!"

"Hinoka and Sakura? And that guy called you Ryoma… Sounds like… and Azura's here..." Shura gasped. "Oh gods you're Prince Ryoma! And… and I just shot Princess Hinoka's Pegasus, and tripped Princess Sakura!" Slap. "Criminy!" Shura cleared his throat. "Hey, I didn't realize you guys were the Hoshidan royal family! I didn't think you'd ever be in Windmire like this! Let me introduce myself."

"We already know your name," Takumi said.

"Yeah, but my backstory! So it goes like this- I used to be in Kohga, and it was all good. But then Kotaro and his Mokushujin thugs invade us, burn it to the ground, and suddenly there's hardly anyone left! So I spent the last twenty years becoming a criminal overlord so we could kill him! But apparently someone beat me to it!"

Takumi smirked. "Oh yeah! Haha! That was me! I got him right in the eye!"

"Whoa-ho! That's what I woulda done! Nice job!"

"Thanks! …Hey, we're not friends!"

Shura cleared his throat. "Lord Ryoma, please let me redeem myself! Kohga was always loyal to Hoshido! Also, I'm still not over how Lord Takumi took Kotaro out, that was great!"

" _Technically it was Saizo and Kaze who finished him off,_ " Sakura whispered to Takumi. The Sniper glared.

" _Don't take this away from me!_ "

"I'll even show you guys where the passage is! No charge!" Slap. "Ow! Why?!"

"Sorry, force of habit. Ahem…" Ryoma dropped Shura. "Very well. You will show us where this passage is, and after the war, I will do everything in my power to help Kohga rebuild itself."

"All right! This was my lucky day after all! I'll even help you guys fight!"

The maid from before walked up. "Mr. Shura, what about your gang?"

"Eh, you guys… I dunno. You can come to the new Kohga or something."

"And how's that gonna work?"

Silas and Mozu rode up on the former's horse. Silas grinned as he held Lilith's crystal ball. "Have I got a solution for you!"

"Silas, are you really going to trap a gang of thieves in the Astral Plane with your parents?"

Silas blinked. "…I'm sure it'll be fine. They raised me, after all!"

Mozu sighed.

* * *

Kamui was not alone in admiring the sights around her. Shura had led everyone to Windmire's underground, a thriving subterranean marketplace. Stalls were crowded, people were chatting, and there were even some other Hoshidans present.

"I'm Guy Fujito, and if your food is funky, I'll find it! And a lot of you guys were telling me I just _had_ to hit up the Windmire underground! So let's roll out, **_RIGHT HERE!_** "

"Hey, this place is cool!" Hana declared.

"Yeah…" Kamui nodded. "Wow, I wonder why Elise never told me about it."

"It's a secret," Shura told her. "None of the royals know about it."

Hinoka smiled. "Y'know, this kinda reminds me of Shirasagi. Huh. When you take Garon and his soldiers out of the picture, Nohrians really aren't that different from Hoshidans, are they?"

"Yeah I mean, look at Scarlet. Her parents didn't care about each other's nationality," Kamui said. "And Silas and Mozu make such a cute couple. And now we know Shura was able to grow up in Nohr, even though he was Hoshidan. Our kingdoms can get along after all."

"Uh, Kohga's more of a commonwealth than a part of Hoshido," Shura clarified.

"Does this do anything for ya, Yukimura?" Scarlet asked the mechanist.

"I… suppose these people aren't inherently demonic. Unless it's a trap…"

Scarlet put a hand around Yukimura's shoulders. "Yuki, buddy… Take it from me, doubting your allies gets you nowhere. Even though we never did resolve that mole issue…"

Izana caught up to Kamui and Hinoka. "Hey. Kamui. Doesn't that girl over there look kind of like Princess Elise?"

Kamui looked over and saw a flower girl with Elise's signature baguette twintails. "You're right. But that can't be Elise. What would she be doing here?"

As if on cue, the girl finished her sale with a smile and turned her attention to the Hoshidans, before dropping her flower basket in shock. "C-C-Corrin?!"

Kamui herself gasped. "Elise… I'd know her face anywhere!"

Shura sighed. "And there goes the neighborhood."

Elise immediately ran over to Kamui, and the albino princess instinctively backed away. "E-Elise, please! Not you! I don't want to fight you!"

"Fight?! I… I don't want to fight either!"

Everyone remained silent, allowing Kamui to speak. She spoke through deep breaths. "I'm… glad to hear it. But… you have to go, Elise. If someone sees you with us-"

"No!" Elise stomped her foot. "Corrin, I miss you! Everything's horrible at the castle now! Xander's obsessed with training, Camilla's depressed, and Leo… Whatever _did_ happen to Leo, anyway? Huh… Anyway, I know where we can talk! No one will know!"

* * *

With a surprising amount of trust, the group had followed Elise into a small house in the marketplace. A jolly, older woman was already there.

"Hmm. Cramped in here. Anyway, you must be Elise's sister. I'm Cassita!"

"Uh, hi," Kamui awkwardly shook Cassita's hand. "Umm… How do you and Elise know one another?"

"I've told you about Cassita, Corrin! She used to be my nanny before moving out here!" She frowned. "When you left, and the castle got… scary, I started spending more time here."

"Elise…" Finally, Kamui wrapped her arms around her little sister. "Elise, I'm so sorry. I saw how sad you were, back in Nestra. And Camilla and Leo told me all about how upset you were. I never wanted to hurt you."

"…I am still upset with you…" Elise admitted, yet she returned the hug. "But I don't want anyone to get hurt either!" She gasped. "Wait… Leo never came back from having to fight you!" She looked up. "Did he die?!"

"Leo never came back?" Kamui asked. Felicia stepped forth.

"Hi Lady Elise! Don't worry about Leo, he and Kam… Corrin talked things over. He just went on a vacation."

"Hmph! I'm technically an adult! Don't lie to me!"

"No, he literally called for his retainers and announced his plans to take a vacation," Kamui explained. "Guess he's still doing that."

"…Huh." Elise then pouted. "He should've invited me! Well anyway, I used the passage that Camilla told me about all those years ago, and now I'm a flower girl here. This is actually where I met Effie!"

"Wait, Princess Elise _and_ Princess Camilla know about this place?!" Takumi shrieked. "Shura, what gives?!"

"Hey don't look at me!" Then Ryoma slapped him. "For crying out loud!"

"Well Father doesn't know," Elise assured everyone. "And I hope he never finds out! He's a monster now! He's so cruel, he just kills people like it's nothing! Also he's literally a monster, I secretly saw him covered in slime one time. Though that might've been a dream."

Cassita nodded. "Oh yeah. King Garon's definitely lost it in his old age. I remember back in the day, he was actually a pretty cool guy. The biggest flirt known to man, but other than that, pretty cool guy. If I had to guess a turning point, it'd probably be when his second wife, Arete, died."

"Oh. That was my mother," Azura stated. "I do seem to recall that they were awfully close…"

"Wait, are you that princess who went missing?" Elise asked. "Wow! I finally get to meet you! I'm Elise!"

"Uh, hi… I'm Azura."

"Oooh! I have a lot of exciting guests today!" Cassita declared. "Wait until Barbara hears about this!"

"You're friends with my maid?!" Silas asked.

Shura put a finger to his chin. "Barbara… I think _my_ maid friend might be acquainted with her…"

"Nobody cares!" Jakob shouted. "We all know King Garon's history! Do you have anything more useful?"

"Wait, I didn't know his history!" said Kamui. "Leo had to tell me about the concubine business, remember?"

"Hmhm! I even missed your teasing, Jakob," Elise told the butler. Everyone began to laugh.

And for a moment, Kamui felt as though peace between the kingdoms could be achieved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With Shura joining the team, that marks every main character for the Birthright path. And the two permanent guests are Hana and Oboro. I included Hana so I could wrap up her arc with Jakob, and I included Oboro because I like her.
> 
> I ran through a few different title ideas for this chapter. One favorite was "Maximum Oboroverdrive", but I felt this would be more appropriate. I like this chapter, I think it has some good interactions. I especially like that I was able to conclude Silas's subplot about checking in on his parents. This was all the way from the Wind Tribe chapter. I wasn't always planning on including this scene, but now I'm glad that I did. Silas has actually developed a lot in this story.
> 
> For the second chapter in a row, I reference Invisible Princess by glossing over the reasons behind Hoshido's refusal to help Nohr, with my own headcanon on why Nohr is such a horrible place. You know how Finland has extended days and nights? I imagine it's kind of like that for Nohr, and we see it during the long nights.
> 
> Shura taking out both the Hoshidan sisters is based on how both of them got defeated when I played this map. I hated Shura for that, so I didn't really like him at first. But later I got over it.
> 
> Not a whole lot else to say that doesn't already speak for itself. Next time, we get to the first map with one of my favorite background songs, and deal with Camilla.


	18. Twisted Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elise leads Kamui and the Hoshidans through Castle Krakenburg's sewers. But Camilla arrives to win Kamui over, in the way Camilla knows best- murder.

"I'm going with you and that's final!" Elise declared.

"Elise…" Kamui was at a loss. She had hoped her little sister would stay in the safety of Cassita's house during this infiltration. But that was not going to happen, it appeared.

"I know you hate Father now, but you can't just kill him! Or Xander!"

"Xander…" Kamui had tried to forget her brother's existence, but now had to face the reality of it- she would likely fight him tonight.

"So I'm going with you and making sure you and everyone can talk about this like adults! You keep telling me to be one, so you should too!"

Hinoka leaned closer to Kamui. " _We can still knock her out._ "

"Hinoka!"

* * *

Thus Princess Elise came to travel with the Hoshidans. After she changed from her flower girl garb into her formal clothes, for some reason, they set out from the underground marketplace. It was not long before everyone made it to the catacombs beneath Castle Krakenburg.

When the party reached a junction, Kamui turned over to Elise. "Which way do we go?"

"Hmm… The right path leads to a place near my room. The left path leads… I forget. It was either the throne room or the training grounds."

"How useful of you," Takumi groaned. Kamui glared at him.

"Don't talk to her like that!"

"She should know her own castle's layout!" the Sniper argued.

"It's a big castle!" Elise said in her defense. "I bet you don't know every room in your castle!"

"I'd bet I do! Like those two rooms with the switches! They block access to this one room in the middle! And there's a Dragon's Vein and everything! So there!"

Hinoka smacked him on the head. "Stop describing our castle to the enemy!"

"Don't call her the enemy, Hinoka!" Kamui cried. She took a breath. "Look, we survived a dragon's stomach and rock-throwing monsters. I'm sure we can deal with a maze!"

A frown formed on Elise's lips. "Corrin… You seem different now."

"Huh?"

"Before, you were always so happy about everything. Like me. But now, you lose your cool a lot more!"

At that time, Felicia joined the conversation. "Huh, now that she mentions it, she's right. Lady Cor- Lady Ka- …milady's been a lot angrier since joining the Hoshidans."

"I hadn't noticed," Jakob said with a shrug.

Kamui stopped to consider what Elise had said. _She's right… I did start out on this path because I wanted revenge… I hated Father so much… Assassinating Gunter was unforgivable, and then killing Mother… and what he did to the Ice Tribe… But I'm not doing this just to get back at Garon. Hoshido doesn't deserve what happened to them. Neither does Nohr. But King Garon has to stand down…_

"Corrin?"

"I'm sorry, Elise. You're right. I've been a little cranky lately and I'm sorry."

"The other day, you were giddy about using forks and knives on the boat instead of chopsticks," Azura said. "You can't be _that_ different from how she remembers you."

"Heh… Well…" Kamui awkwardly rubbed her neck, but smiled all the same. Elise gasped.

"You guys don't use forks or knives? Wait! I remember! You guys use sticks! That's so cool!"

Kamui run her hand through Elise's hair. "Not as cool as you'd think. Later, remind me to tell you about the time I got a chopstick stuck in our wall."

All of Kamui's Hoshidan siblings chuckled at this, while Jakob merely sighed. To the distant left, two soldiers were watching the conversation unfold. One was a General with a messy hair bun, the other was a Hero in red and blue. The General squinted her eyes. "That looks like Lady Elise!"

The Hero was busy wrestling with a barrel on his head. "Hmm! Mmmmmm!"

She looked over. "Again, Arthur?! Ugh, whatever. Let's report to Lady Camilla…"

* * *

Further into the tunnels, the Hoshidans had reached a canal. Silas grimaced. "Corpses… corpses everywhere… and not a drop to drink."

Hinoka looked over. "What?"

"No I'm not a vampire, why'd you ask?!"

The princess just shook her head.

"Elise, there you are," a familiar, somewhat breathy voice called. Chills ran down Kamui's spine. She and everyone else looked over. "And you've brought Corrin with you!"

"Camilla…"

Hinoka glared. "My nemesis!"

It was Silas's turn to look at Hinoka. "Wait, I thought Lord Xander was your nemesis."

"I can have more than one!"

"I say, are you kidnapping dear little Elise, Corrin?"

Kamui's eyes shifted around. "If anything it's more the opposite. Elise was leading us into the cas- Maybe I'm saying too much."

Yukimura glared. "Begone Nohrian harlot, we have important business with King Garon!"

Camilla blinked, staring back at Yukimura. "…I think I'll kill you first." She turned to Kamui. "Corrin, are you sure you'd rather be with the Hoshidans rather than your family?"

The albino princess glared. "I'm sure that I'd like Garon to stop all this madness, for the good of both countries. Silas told me about the famine. You really think razing Hoshido will make everything okay?!"

"That's not for me to decide, dear. But I can see you've made your choice. Oh, Marzia!"

" _URRRR!_ "

Camilla's wyvern appeared. The princess hopped on and flew ahead. "I have access to a Dragon's Vein, silly Hoshidans. Now you'll get it! Once I kill all of you, Corrin will realize how foolish she's been!"

"Uh, I don't count as Hoshidan, do I?" Silas asked. He went ignored, as Camilla flew further away. "…She's going to kill us."

"Not on my watch!" Ryoma declared.

Everyone immediately hurried to chase Camilla before she could use the Dragon's Vein. Unfortunately for the Hoshidans, the narrow bridges and winding tunnels forced them apart from each other.

* * *

Cursing his luck, Shura found himself traveling alone with Azura. "Huh. Didn't think we'd be doing this together again."

Azura shrugged. "It is what it is."

"…You're just as stoic now as you were back then. Hoshido really wasn't any better to you, was it?"

Her golden eyes focused on the floor. "Some people made it clear that I wasn't welcome. But really I was fine. Mikoto adored me, and her children still do. I'm just quiet by nature."

"Oh. Okay then. Say, I don't see any sign of that prin-"

"In the name of justice!" Shura and Azura found themselves face to face with the red and blue Hero. "Aha! A criminal and a fair maiden in the castle's secret tunnels? I think not!"

The Adventurer rolled his eyes. "Just how many people know about the tunnels?!"

"I feared you might be with Lady Elise's kidnappers, but now I know you're just hooligans doing unsavory things in the sewers. All the same, you must leave! That is an invasion of property!"

Azura narrowed her eyes. "Wait a second… I remember a blonde boy ranting about justice from my time in Nohr… Are you that kid they whipped that one time?"

The Hero looked up in thought. "You'll need to be more specific. You see, a lot of things tend to happen to me, so it sort of blurs together after a point."

"Yeah, well we're not doing whatever it is you think we're doing. We're just looking for King Garon!" Shura explained.

"Assassins?! Egad! It's worse than I feared!"

"Oh way to go, Shura."

* * *

Takumi, Oboro and Mozu were all headed down another tunnel together.

"Hey Mozu. I'm going to make an outfit for you."

Mozu looked over. "Huh?"

"I said I'm going to make you an outfit. Look, your merchant getup is nice and all, but you can do better."

"Is… is now the time to be focused on that?"

Oboro ran a hand through her own hair. "Look, we're in the heart of Nohr! _Nohr!_ I need something to take my mind off this."

"Uh…"

"STOP RIGHT THERE, HOSHIDANS!" a contralto voice shouted. Takumi, leading the trio, chuckled.

"What was that? Oboro, are you practicing your Nohrian impression? It sounds less strawman than usual."

"That wasn't me," Oboro answered.

"In front of you!" The trio looked ahead and found the General from before. "Yeah! Me! I've been training for the day someone would try to kidnap Lady Elise! Get ready for the workout of your life!"

"Huh, you and Oboro sound kind of similar."

"Lord Takumi, how could you say I sound like a Nohrian?!"

"I mean your voices!" Takumi explained. "I dunno. It's there, but it's kinda hard to explain."

Taking advantage of her enemy's confusion, the General charged forth with her lance, before Takumi and everyone backed away. Oboro then stepped in to fight back, allowing Takumi and Mozu to split up and aim their bows at the knight from either side.

"Fire!"

Takumi and Mozu shot the General with arrows. "Ow. Ouch."

"…She's tougher than she looks," Mozu said.

Suddenly, a giant fireball hit all four of the combatants.

"Aaaah!"

"Eeek!"

"No!"

"Urk…" The knight was included in this. "Oh yeah… Lady Camilla's… Dragon Vein… forgot she was… doing that…"

* * *

"It's nice to know Lady Elise doesn't hate us like all of Lady Kamui's other siblings!" Felicia chirped. She, Jakob and Lilith were crossing a bridge.

"That's because she's naïve," said Jakob. "As though we could end this without taking King Garon's life."

"Hey, you don't know that!" said Felicia.

"You were there when our lady declared her intent to kill King Garon. And as her servants, we must assist her in that. That's what Flora would want, too."

Felicia frowned. "K-Kamui was just angry! That was a very horrible night for all of us. I'm sure now that she's had time to calm down-"

"Your _family_ , Felicia! You don't even want to avenge them?" Jakob stopped walking and yelled. "At least your family loved you, I don't _have_ anyone to avenge!"

Lilith turned her head. "Jakob… You never talk about your family."

"There's nothing to say. I've told you people everything I know long ago."

"Hold it right there!" a snobby voice said. "You're not doing squat to Lady Camilla while I can help it!"

Jakob narrowed his eyes. A familiar Bow Knight was waiting for them, arrow drawn. "Well if it isn't Selena. Don't you have a shopping spree to be on?"

"Don't worry about Jakob, he's just grumpy tonight," Felicia said.

"Well tough! The only reason you guys beat me in Cheve was 'cause I wasn't trying my best! So there!"

Lilith tilted her head. "Why wouldn't you give it your all for your liege?"

"What? Sh-shut up! …Baka." Selena still had her bow pointed at the servants. "I'll take all three of you, just watch me!" The red-haired retainer fired her arrow, but Jakob and Felicia both backed away in time. When the attack was over, Lilith flew over and spit Astral Breath on the ground before Selena's horse, making it rear up in fear. "H-hey!"

" _Neeeeigh!_ "

"Hey… I've seen fires like that before!"

Lilith gasped. "Uh, no you haven't!"

"Yeah I have! Back in Va- I mean… that one place!" She shook her head incredulously. "Wait, you can talk?! What are you?!"

"Uhhh-" Lilith failed to think of a response, though she managed to keep Selena distracted. A harsh, cold wind blew Selena off her horse and into the nearby canal.

"Gaaah! Lousy… traitor… clods! You're lucky… this current… is strong!"

"Yay, I did it!" Felicia cheered. "I mean, fighting's the only thing I'm good at, but still!"

* * *

"Hey Izana, why was Mozu hanging around your palace when we all met each other? I forgot," Silas asked.

"I dunno!"

Scarlet frowned. "That reminds me, I never got to hear why you're coming with us, Archduke."

"Oh! You see, Princess Kamui had an interesting fortune when I told it to her! So I wanted to see how it'd all play out! I also wanna know what's up with Garon! That Cassita chick was right, he wasn't always like this! He definitely didn't talk like a cowboy all the time, that's for sure!"

"Look out!" Silas cried.

Silas leapt off his horse and tackled Izana, allowing the two of them to avoid a swooping axe attack from the Wyvern Lord Beruka.

"…I missed."

"Hey! These tunnels ain't big enough for two Wyvern Lords!" Scarlet cried.

"…"

"…Really? Nothing to that? No one-liners about making sure you're the only Wyvern Lord or anything?"

"I hate conversations."

Scarlet shook her head. "Way to be a buzzki- Whoa!" Scarlet dodged the retainer's axe swing, and pulled out her own Killer Axe. "All right, time to get Nohrian on your butt!"

"…"

She sighed. "This just isn't fun when they don't talk back…"

The airborne knights commenced their duel, meanwhile Silas and Izana were getting back on their feet. The Paladin ran over to his horse and pulled out a javelin. "All right, I'm gonna be useful!" He picked up the javelin and threw it… missing both riders by a mile, before the javelin fell into the river.

_Sploosh_

"Aw man! I was gonna be useful!"

"Allow me!" Izana readied his personal scroll and waved it. Sheets of paper flew out and stuck themselves to Beruka. "Prepare to be judged!"

The quiet knight examined herself. "What?"

"GUILTY!" The Onmyoji stomped his foot, signaling for the spell to shock Beruka.

"Aaaah!" She fell off her wyvern's back and into the water.

"RRRR!" Beruka's wyvern quickly flew down to the river, in order to fish its master out. "RAAAAR!"

"Phew! Let's go!" Scarlet called.

* * *

"Arthur!" Elise cried out. Previously, she walked hand-in-hand with Kamui, with Sakura following closely. That was until they came across the sight of one of Elise's own retainers.

"Ahoy, Lady Elise! Fear not, I've defeated these scoundrels!"

"Hi," Azura greeted. She was stoic, as Arthur carried her under one of his arms. Shura was unconscious under the other arm. "You would not believe how much trouble this guy had capturing us. Not even because we resisted, he just had that much bad luck!"

Elise nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like Arthur."

"Oh yeah, you're Arthur!" Kamui recognized. "I think I met you once! Before I… left."

"There is no justice in betraying the Nohrian way, Lady Corrin. But heroes forgive those who want to be forgiven! Merely hand over Lady Elise, and-"

Elise walked closer to Arthur. "Arthur you goof, I'm not being kidnapped! I'm taking Corrin and her friends to Father so they can talk!"

Arthur looked over at Kamui and Sakura with a discerning eye. After a moment, he nodded. "Very well. In that case, I shall join you!"

"No!" Elise's refusal surprised everyone. "Arthur, Father never liked you, he's not going to listen to what you say! You gotta go find Effie and hide in my room until it's all over!"

"I do? I don't know…"

"That's an order, Arthur!"

"Aww, I wanted to be there for the justice… But okay. I shall find Effie and tell her the news!"

Elise smiled. "Heehee! Thanks! After this is over, I'll finally invite you to one of my tea parties with Effie!"

"C-could you give us back our friends, first?" Sakura asked the Hero. He looked down at Azura and Shura. Gently, he set them down on the ground and then ran off.

"Arthur awaaaaay!"

* * *

Ryoma and Hana hurried through a corridor, and the prince gasped. "Duck!" The two samurai ducked down to avoid a fireball. After that, they resumed running. "Phew. That fiend, she's sitting comfortably on a Dragon's Vein, firing at random! I just need to get close and then Raijinto will finish the job."

"Yeah! You show her, Lord Ryoma! And I'll give you words of encouragement!"

He frowned. "Duck!" The two ducked again. "You know, you could actually help alert me to any traps in the area. Or you could even help me fight the princess directly."

"Aw I couldn't do that, you're way too cool! I'd just hold you back!"

Ryoma sighed. "This is no time for hero worship, Kazahana! As long as this princess is active, we're all in danger!"

"…Oh no! That means Lady Sakura is in danger! Why I oughta- Whoa!" Ryoma grabbed Hana and hit the floor again. "Oh yeah, the fireballs…"

* * *

Arthur ran through the halls, but was stopped when two Hoshidans aimed bows at him, while a third pointed her naginata at his throat.

"Easy there, friends! I mean you no harm! Lady Elise told me everything, she's merely escorting you. I understand!"

Takumi and Mozu lowered their weapons. "Okay," the prince started, "stay out of our way, then."

"Have you seen Effie, though? Close to my height, pale hair, green eyes, not wearing proper pants for some reason…"

"Oh, the pink lady?" Mozu asked. "She got hit with a fireball a while ago, and she hasn't gotten up since."

Arthur nodded. "I see… Um, can I help you, miss?"

Oboro was still pointing her weapon, and giving Arthur her demon stare. "…No. No you can't. Just go."

"Okay!"

Arthur moved on, and quickly found Effie's body. "By the gods! Effie, are you all right?!"

"…"

"Hmm… Oh! Effie, look! Workout equipment!"

The General immediately resurrected herself. "Where?!"

"Uh, in Lady Elise's room! Hurry!"

Effie ran off, with Arthur following.

* * *

Camilla glared from her position, as Hinoka flew in. "Why is it always _you?_ "

"Look how symmetrical our families are. This was meant to happen!" Hinoka said.

"How cliché. Oh well. When tonight's over, Corrin won't have a full eight siblings anymore. So enjoy it while you can."

"Hey I'm here too!" Yukimura said, revealing his presence. The Malig Knight nodded.

"Oh yes, the foolish old man and his ridiculous contraption. I haven't forgotten to kill you as well."

"Ah, so you don't believe one against two is a problem?"

"Marzia counts," Camilla said.

Hinoka glared. "Then my Pegasus counts!"

"Okay, two against three then," Yukimura amended. "In which case, why not two against four? Heheh…" The Mechanist concentrated, and suddenly there were two of him. "Meet my replica! Handsome devil, isn't he?"

The replica was immediately incinerated with a fireball from the Dragon's Vein. "Replica, noooo!"

"That's it! You think you can talk down to us Hoshidans?! Well you're not ready for _this!_ " Hinoka flew in and started fighting Camilla. Yukimura quickly fiddled with some buttons on his mechanism, and began firing arrows at the flying sisters.

"Oh dear!" Camilla and Marzia narrowly avoided a few arrows, as did Hinoka.

"Watch where you're shooting, Yukimura!"

"Uh, sorry!"

Camilla swung her axe, but Hinoka guarded. The two princesses kept at it for a while, until…

"See your death!"

Lightning from Raijinto nearly struck Camilla, had she not ducked in time. She smugly grinned at Ryoma. "Sorry darling, but I-"

"HAAAA!" With one mighty swing, Hinoka slashed Camilla's armor right across the stomach.

"Waaaah!"

While the Nohrian was in shock, Yukimura quickly fired an arrow at Marzia's nearer wing, grounding the reptile. "RAAAAR!"

After recovering from the crash landing, Camilla quickly dismounted her wyvern. She limped closer to Ryoma, Hana and Yukimura. She clutched her stomach with one hand, though blood was seeping through. In her other hand, Camilla weakly dragged her axe behind her.

"I'm… not… done… Give… Corrin… back…!" Camilla raised her axe, as Hana and Yukimura braced themselves. But Ryoma did nothing, for Camilla finally fell onto the ground, axe clattering on the stone floor as she dropped it.

At that time, Kamui and her two little sisters ran onto the scene. Elise gasped. "Camilla! No!" The troubadour ran over to her big sister and began healing her. Sakura and Kamui both did the same.

"Should we let them heal her?" Hana asked Ryoma.

"Confiscate her axe, and I think we'll be fine," the prince ordered.

"Oh… Elise, Corrin… where did I go wrong?" Camilla weakly lamented.

Kamui frowned. "Camilla, I keep telling you that this is bigger than us. Garon needs to be stopped. Not just for the good of Hoshido, but Nohr too! We're going to form an alliance!" She sunk her head. "It's true that revenge was a big part of it… Garon and his soldiers took a lot of people away from me. My parents... and Gunter. And they killed Felicia's father, and drove Flora mad. But… I never wanted to hurt you or Elise or any of my family."

She shuddered. "You couldn't imagine the first night after I sided with Hoshido. I couldn't sleep at all, I kept thinking about you, about Xander, about all the siblings I left behind."

Then Elise looked over. "Corrin…"

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Camilla. I really, really am."

Hinoka watched from her vantage point. "She can't be that bad if Kamui still appreciates her, can she? Hmm…"

"Oh Corrin… You've grown so much," Camilla mustered the energy to smile. "You're stronger, but not just that… Elise, make sure nothing happens to her... and good luck… If anyone's adorable enough to change… Xander's mind… it's you…" Her eyes shut slowly.

"Camilla! Please don't die!" Elise pleaded

Camilla's eyes shot back open. "Hmm? Oh silly! I'm not dying, I'm just," she yawned, "tired… Zzzzz…"

Sakura blinked. "I-I guess we've done all-"

"Leo, you don't know where that tomato's been… zzzz…"

"…I guess we've done all we can do for her," Sakura reiterated.

_Drip drop drip drop_

A soaked Selena and Beruka made their way to the conversation. "I guess we're done here, huh?" asked Selena. "Fine, whatever. I don't care anymore. You guys do whatever you want." She looked to her companion. "C'mon Beruka, let's take Lady Camilla to her room."

"…Okay."

Shura walked up to everyone, rubbing his head in pain. "Gaaah… Freaking Arthur… Okay, looks like we're near the end of the tunnel. Let's go."

Everyone nodded. This war would be over within the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We begin the home stretch of Birthright, the chapters that play "Alight" in the background. The Storm version of that song is one of my favorites in the whole game, so it felt good to listen to it as I wrote the corresponding scenes. I had the same feeling when writing the Conquest chapters with "A Dark Fall". It's surreal to know that we're near the end.
> 
> Corrin mentioned getting chopsticks stuck in a wall while trying to learn how to use them. That is a reference to I Just Want My Fork Back, a drabble that one of the other mods on FE14Drabbles graciously wrote for me on my birthday.
> 
> It didn't really occur to me until Elise's line, but yeah Corrin's grouchier in the Birthright fic than the Conquest one. I wouldn't say it's a night and day difference, but I did want to emphasize how her goals are different in both stories. In Birthright, she wants revenge and also justice, but comes to realize Nohr needs help to. In Conquest, she's traumatized from Mikoto's death and just wants peace, but realizes she has to hurt somebody to make it happen.
> 
> We meet Arthur and Effie in this chapter. And I guess I'll admit it here- I don't think I'm one of the better Arthur writers. He's one of my favorite characters, but I feel like I can't quite nail him down. We also get a small peek at Jakob's backstory. Between Birthright and Conquest, I've demonstrated how Gunter and the maids came to know Corrin, and Lilith will likely get hers in Revelation. But we haven't seen Jakob's yet. He's his rigid self, but even he's being affected by old friends dropping like flies, just like Corrin and Felicia are.
> 
> So with this chapter, we conclude Camilla's role in the story on a fairly light note. As for the next chapter- if you think Corrin hates Hans now, then you've seen nothing yet.
> 
> (By the way, I have non-Fire Emblem stories if you're interested. Check out The Disaster Huntsman if you want to read about RWBY characters parodying The Room. And if you want to see me rush through Xenoblade, read Xenoblade: The Lightning Round.)


	19. Hans-On Experience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you think Kamui hated Hans before, just you wait.

"This is not the throne room," said Azura.

The Hoshidan infiltrators had found themselves emerging from the base of a statue in Castle Krakenburg's training room. It was a large platform over a chasm, with paths leading to various parts of the castle.

"Oops…" Elise sheepishly kicked at the ground. "Sometimes I get left and right mixed up…"

"Are you serious?" Scarlet asked her.

"Hey! I get them mixed up too!" Kamui protectively held Elise closer to herself. "I'm already bad enough with them in Nohrian, learning them in Hoshidan's even worse…"

"I bought you that children's book!" Takumi said.

Shura put a finger to his chin. "Come to think of it, I think I made the same mistake when I came here for Azura all those years ago." He looked around uncomfortably. "But yeah, we're surrounded by Nohr's best fighters. We should sneak ba-"

"HAHAHA!"

Everyone was thrown off by that laugh. But Kamui steeled herself and gripped Yato tighter. "Hans…"

Elise gave her sister a worried look. "Corrin?"

Kamui let go of Elise and went to peek around the corner, along with Ryoma and Shura. As it turned out, Hans was putting the soldiers through their paces.

"NO MERCY! HANS WANT KILLING! IF YOU DIE, YOU WEREN'T MEANT TO BE HERE ANYWAY!" Hans roared. "FIGHT! KILL! DESTROY!"

"Grrrrr… I still haven't forgotten what he did to Gunter…"

Lilith was waiting in Kamui's satchel and sunk her head at the mention of the knight's name. "If only I could've saved him too… Between failing him and failing Flora, I've been a horrible friend…"

At that point, a wayward soldier looked over. "Oh, it's the one princess. …Wait, she betrayed us! She shouldn't be here!"

Shura groaned. "Way to go-"

"And a thief!"

"Ugh…"

Before they knew it, the Hoshidans were surrounded by several soldiers, with General Hans prominent among them. "HOSHIDANS IN THE CASTLE! HANS CAN'T WAIT TO KILL YOU! YOU EVEN HAVE ELISE! OH WELL, KILL HER TOO! GARON WON'T NOTICE!"

Elise gasped. A sneer formed on Ryoma's face, and he shuddered. "So this is the Hans you've told me about, Kamui. You've described him perfectly."

"Yeah. He's a real jerk!" Kamui's heart was pounding.

Takumi nodded in agreement. "I only met him once and he rubbed me the wrong way. But Kamui totally _hates_ him! And she never hates anybody!"

"KILL THEM!" Hans ordered. The soldiers ran forward without any hesitation.

Ryoma, Kamui and Scarlet greeted the enemies with their weapons, while Shura and Takumi hung back to snipe. Azura and Elise ran back into the catacombs to get backup. Lucky for the Hoshidans, Ryoma was as powerful as ever.

"See your deaths!" With one lightning-charged swing, Ryoma cut down several soldiers at once. This freed Kamui to run over to Hans. "Kamui, wait!"

"Aaaaah!" She dashed and prepared a jump-strike with Noble Yato. Hans easily blocked with his axe. "Grrrr!" Then Kamui's left arm became a dragon mouth again. She reached to bite Hans, but the villain was ready for it this time. He swung his axe and chipped one of the fangs. "Aaah!"

"HAHA! FOOL HANS TWO TIMES, SHAME ON YOU! NOBODY LIVES TO THE THIRD TIME!" Hans taunted. "HANS KILL CORRIN NOW! HA!" He prepared a spinning axe attack while Kamui was distracted. With a mighty swing, he knocked Kamui to the ground. "HAHAHA!"

"Aah… No…!"

"DIIIIE!" Hans swung his axe.

"KAMUI, WATCH OUT!" Lilith flew out of the satchel and charged her Astral Breath. In a twist of fate, Lilith and Hans struck each other at the same time. The black flames coated Hans' torso, while the dragon herself was struck by Hans' axe. She fell to the floor, bleeding profusely.

"Lilith! NO!"

With Hans distracted, Kamui was able to get up in time. She pulled a Bloom Festal from her satchel and shook it furiously over Lilith's body. "Hang in there, Lilith! Don't you dare die!"

"K-Kamui…" Lilith said breathlessly, "I'm sorry…"

"Don't say that!" Then Kamui looked up and noticed Hans recovering from Lilith's attack. She removed her satchel and set it aside, then quickly placed Lilith onto it. "Rest there for now."

Hans finally put out the last of the fires and glared at Kamui. "DUMB BIRD! HANS COULDA KILLED CORRIN!" Kamui took deep breaths and pointed her sword at Hans. "BOOHOO FOR CORRIN! HANS KILL HER BIRD, NOW YOU WANT TO FIGHT ME?"

"…No." She glared. "I want to _kill you!_ "

* * *

Elise shivered in fear as Nohrians began to close in on her. "Guys! Come on, you don't want to kill me!"

The soldiers said nothing, as they crept closer. However, they scarcely anticipated an angry samurai running in, cutting them down.

"You fiends! How could you attack your own princess like that?!"

"Grrr!" A Hero turned to his allies. "Are we gonna let that guy talk smack about us?! I think not!"

Everyone began to focus on Ryoma instead, but the samurai was ready to take them all on. And he had help from Takumi, as the Sniper fired at them from a distance. "Ugh. We're fighting to protect one of the princesses of Nohr. Never thought I'd see the day."

Sakura turned to him. "Kamui is a princess of Nohr too. It's… it's not as black and white as we thought."

"I guess not… You know, you can help!"

"Eek! Oh! Yes!" Sakura scurried over to Elise and extended her hand. "C-come with me, Princess Elise!"

"Right! And you can just call me 'Elise' if you want!" Elise took her hand, and the young princesses went over to join Takumi. The boy gave the Nohrian heir a look.

"I thought a Nohrian princess would be able to fend for herself. Aren't you guys all about battle and glory and all that?"

"Well… I was going to start going on missions once Corrin came back from the Bottomless Canyon. But then she left, and all my trainers got busy… things fell apart with my family… I didn't see the point anymore."

Sakura turned to Takumi. "I-it's kind of like how I wasn't always able to fight…"

"I guess we royals aren't really that different from each other. No wonder Kamui had a hard time with that decision of hers…" Takumi nodded resolutely. "But that Garon is a jerk, I'm not sorry! Our Father would never act like that!" He then went back to spotting Ryoma from afar.

Elise pouted. "Stupid Hans! This isn't the first time he's wanted one of us royals dead! I'll be glad if Corrin does something to him!"

Sakura decided to speak up. "S-so how did she get the name 'Corrin' anyway?"

"Oh! Well that's a funny story! See-"

* * *

"You jerks!" Silas yelled, managing to fend off against two Wyvern Lords. "You all left me for dead at Fort Jinya!"

"Uh, you told us to leave!" one of the Wyvern Lords corrected. Silas blinked.

"Huh. I guess I did. Okay then." Silas continued fighting the Nohrians, but did it serenely.

"Woo!" Scarlet flew through the air, taking on a few Malig Knights with her axe, and watching the fallen knights plummet into the abyss. "Wow, why would Garon build a castle with this kind of hazard? In fact, Nohr has a lot of weird design choices… The fort made from a dragon carcass, a burning river, now this crater-built castle! What was the deal?!"

"Get the Chevois!"

"Uh-oh." Scarlet snapped out of her thoughts in time to realize she was surrounded. She whistled, causing her wyvern to descend. The enemy riders all gave chase on their zombie wyverns. The wyverns began firing at her. "No way! All right… Time for that old piece of advice my father's best friend would always tell me…! HYA!"

Scarlet and her wyvern performed an aileron roll, with her reptile's wings deflecting the blasts. Down on the platform, Jakob stepped up to the edge and began throwing knives. He struck each and every wyvern head-on. Most of them fell to the abyss, while one fell onto a platform with some shrubbery. A happy dog emerged from the bush, holding a wyvern by the neck before sinking back down.

When Scarlet landed her wyvern, Felicia ran up and started cooling the wing tips with her ice magic, as the aileron roll did not prevent mild burns.

"You know, the three of us make a good team!" Felicia cheered. "We should fight together more often!"

"I've proven myself to that mutt. That is the most I can ask for," said Jakob.

* * *

"Heeheeheeheeheehee!" Izana giggled as he spun around, waving a scroll and unleashing energy rabbits everywhere. "The rabbit is one of the strongest! That's what you get for misjudging it!"

A zombie wyvern without a rider flew closer to Izana, but Mozu noticed in time and shot it down with one of her arrows. A General snuck up on her from behind, but Oboro took him out with her naginata. Finally, a nearby Sorcerer prepared a spell to attack Oboro, but Hana snuck up on him with a jump-slash.

"Wow, you guys are pathetic!"

"Good job, everyone!" Yukimura praised. "My tactic worked beautifully!"

Oboro stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

"…Okay, I just wanted to feel important."

"AAAH! Someone help!" Shura screamed. Everyone found him pinned to the ground, while a stray wyvern was preparing to bite. Yukimura quickly adjusted the angle of his contraption and fired an arrow at the wyvern's throat, distracting it long enough for Shura to escape. "Phew! Thanks!"

"Aha! I'm important!"

* * *

Azura sat behind Hinoka on the latter's Pegasus. Their allies were handling themselves just fine, but Kamui was still taking on one of Nohr's top commanders all by herself. They tried to hurry, but Azura caught sight of Lilith.

"Hinoka, we have to land! Lilith's down there!"

"Huh?" The Falcon Knight managed to ground her steed, then the two ran over to Lilith. "Hey! Lilith! Wake up!"

"Hurts… to breathe…"

"Gah! We need a healer!" Hinoka said to Azura. She merely received one of the songstress's stares in return. "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting I can do that now." Hinoka pulled out a festal and attempted to heal Lilith.

* * *

"HAAAA!" Kamui crossed weapons with Hans. As much as she hated to admit it, Hans was a competent fighter. "I don't know why I'm surprised you can put up a fight! Violence is the only thing you seem to be good for!"

She backed off, rolled past Hans and tried to hit him with an upward slash, but he was too quick, and blocked with his axe again. "You disgust me, Hans! You're exactly what's wrong with Nohr!"

Kamui jumped back in time to avoid an axe swing. "HUH?"

The Hoshidan princess glared and swung Noble Yato, though she only managed to lightly graze the bridge of his nose. "Rrrgh! King Garon's glory?! The Nohrian way?! What a joke!" She swung again, but Hans raised his axe, knocking Kamui's arms away. Hans tried to chop her, but Kamui brought her arms together to block with Yato. "All you care about is killing as many people as you can!"

The two broke apart, and immediately attacked again, locking weapons. "That, and getting your way all the time! You have no principles! Unlike half of your own soldiers!" She pushed harder. "Nohr's gone to the dogs, and you're just another mutt!"

Kamui finally had the advantage and Hans' guard fell. She struck him with Yato. Hans fell to his knee, but instead of screaming or getting angry… he laughed. Kamui tilted her head. "What's so funny?"

"Heheh… All right. The truth, then!" Hans weakly stood up. "You're right about one thing. I _do_ like killing people. And getting my own way. Wanna know why?!"

"Wait, you can talk normally?!"

"I have a dream!" Hans announced. "That one day, everyone in Nohr will make their own fate! A kingdom of _real_ glory, by the gods!" Hans looked off to the side in disgust. "A kingdom where the law changes to suit the individual, not the other way around!" He pulled out a vulnerary and chugged it. When he was finished, he wiped his mouth and ran at Kamui with his axe.

"Gaah!"

Hans grinned as Kamui nearly failed to block in time. "Where every Nohrian will be free to act, to think for himself!" He took his axe away from Kamui, and began going for horizontal slashes. Some of them nicking her, some barely missing. "Screw King Garon and his chicken-brained sorcerers! Screw this 24/7 spew of 'do it for glory' and 'do it for our nobles'! Screw Nohrian pride! Screw the Nohrian way!" Hans then kicked Kamui to the floor. "Screw all of it!"

"Owww… What are you talking about?! Where's all this political stuff coming from?!"

"Nohr is diseased! Rotten to the core! There's no saving it! So we need to wipe the slate clean by conquering Hoshido! Then from Hoshido's ashes, a new Nohr will be born! Evolved, but untamed! The weak and complacent will be purged, and the strong will survive! Free to live as they see fit! I'll even kill King Garon if he gets in my way! Or when! Do you get it yet?!"

Kamui caught her breath as she stared incredulously at her opponent. "…What?!"

Hans clenched his unused hand. "I'm using Nohr's fake notions of glory to create _true_ glory! I'm keeping the Nohrian dream alive!" He stepped closer to Kamui. "In my new Nohr, 'glory' will mean whatever it needs to! Not what King Garon decides! Not whatever some old farts a hundred years ago decided! But what we need at the very moment we need it!"

He then stomped his foot down on Kamui's stomach. "Aaah!"

"So… What do you think?"

Kamui just stared at Hans in horror, winded from exhaustion and the beating she took. "…What is this?! You act like a braindead thug all the time, but it's really a pretense so you can work on this plan?! This plan to take Hoshido, and then kill Garon in the aftermath?! That's… Whoa, déjà vu… Weird." She shook her head. "But this is your master plan?! Create a utopia for lawless barbarians?!"

Hans growled, but Kamui did not let up. "And in your 'brilliant' plan to get Garon out of the way, you decided it was necessary to stoke the war with Hoshido! You thought cutting down friend and foe alike would be a good idea! You thought you could kill Gunter and hurt Lilith _and get away with it!_ "

Kamui quickly held her sword in reverse grip and stuck it in the leg Hans had on her stomach. "AAAAAAH!"

Now it was Hans' turn to fall on his back, dropping his axe as Kamui stood back up. "So you're not just a hired thug. You're an _insane_ hired thug! Maybe you don't like the direction Nohr's taken! But slaughtering Hoshidans and creating a wild wasteland isn't any better!" She shuddered. "I remember something Gunter taught me once; it's that sometimes someone has to die. And today that's you! BEFORE YOU HURT ANYONE ELSE!"

Kamui went over to Hans and pulled Yato out of his shin. Hans reached for his axe, but with both hands on Noble Yato, Kamui slashed him with a fatal attack. "AAAAAHH!"

"Gaaaah! You… killed me! How… dare you…" She watched as Hans fell onto his back, devoid of life. Finally, Kamui could catch her breath.

"This… Doesn't feel as good as I wanted it to…" Then Kamui gasped. "Lilith!"

* * *

Kamui hurried to the place she had left Lilith. To Kamui's relief, Hinoka was healing her, as were Jakob and Felicia. Azura and Scarlet were standing watch. Things were not looking good for Lilith, though.

"Lilith, I know I've been curt with you, but I absolutely forbid you to die," Jakob told the dying dragon. "You've had the healthiest diet I've ever known, you can't go out this early! You will make Lady Kamui very upset, is that any way to repay her?!"

Felicia's eyes were watering. "Jakob, stop yelling at her! You're making it worse!"

"This is all I know how to do, Felicia!"

"Both of you shut up!" Hinoka ordered. "Do you think the last thing she wants to hear is a fight between her friends?!"

At that time, Kamui approached. "Lilith, are you… are you okay?"

Lilith weakly opened her eyes. "I'm sorry… milady… I wasn't ready for him…"

"What is she talking about, Lady Kamui?" Felicia asked.

Kamui began to get choked up. "Hans took me by surprise… When he was about to kill me, Lilith took the hit instead…" She sniffled. "I tried to heal her, but I suppose it's not working…"

Lilith smiled. "You did… your best…"

"Lilith…"

Jakob growled. "Lilith, it's bad enough we've lost Gunter and Flora, but you cannot die! Do you understand me?!"

"Jakob!" Felicia snapped. Hinoka merely shook her head.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light. It surprised the four mourners, as well as Azura and Scarlet. When everyone could see again, Lilith was back in her human form. The wound was very prominent along her torso.

"Lilith?!" Felicia was in awe. "You changed!"

"I lied… about being unable… to change back… I thought… you'd want to remember me… like this…"

Kamui got down on her knees and took Lilith's hand in her own, her eyes watering. "Lilith… I'm so sorry! If I were more careful, this wouldn't be happening!"

"It's okay… Kamui… Felicia… J-Jakob… I'll tell Gunter and… and Flora you're all doing well…" Lilith shut her eyes. "I'm happy to… have met… you… Be safe…"

"LILITH!" the three friends cried out as one. Kamui slammed her fist on the ground, while Jakob grasped his temples in frustration and walked a few paces away. Felicia merely stared.

"I… I'm tired of this, Lady Kamui!"

"Me too…" She looked to Hinoka, then her two servants. "Hinoka… Felicia, Jakob… Thank you for doing all that you can."

"Y-yeah…" Hinoka nodded. She felt out of place in this scene, which was to say nothing of Scarlet and Azura, whom were still spectating. The Falcon Knight stood up. "I didn't really get to know her, but she seemed like a good friend to you guys."

"…She was," Jakob admitted.

Takumi ran up to everyone. "Guys! You won't believe it! But a lot of soliders saw what Kamui did to Hans, and they're running with their tails between their legs! This is great! C'mon, let's go get Garon!" He then found the deceased woman lying on the ground, with his sisters and Felicia sitting beside her. "Um… Who is that?"

"It's Lilith," Azura told the Sniper. "She's… moved on."

Takumi flinched. "Oh! I… I didn't-"

"It's okay," Hinoka told him. She stood up. "So we've got a clear path to the throne room?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Then let's go." Hinoka looked down at Kamui and Felicia. "I guess we can't just leave her here. I think Silas still has her crystal ball. Maybe we can… I don't know, give her a burial or something in the Astral Plane?"

Jakob nodded. "Yes… That may be the best we can do for now."

Scarlet shivered and noticed some snowflakes falling. "Is… it snowing? But why?"

Felicia sniffled and wiped her eyes with her own sleeve. "S-sorry… I just…"

"We can't give up now, Felicia," Kamui told her. "That's not what Lilith would want. Or Gunter or Flora."

"I… I," sniffle, "I know…"

Kamui stood up. "So let's finish this."

"Y-you're right…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... That's Hans. But let's go in order.
> 
> Takumi makes a reference to buying a children's book to help Corrin learn the Hoshidan language. Like the chopstick reference, this is another reference to a birthday gift fic: Baby Steps, by Anghelic (as she's known here). Also I wanted a joke about all the enemy soldiers refusing to fight and just watching Corrin kill Hans, because they hated him. But that ended up clashing a bit with the tone, so instead they were monstrous enough to go along with Hans' order to attack Elise. But that's not to say Hans was popular, Takumi references my original plan in the final scene, and there's a small mention at the start of the next chapter.
> 
> The fight scenes with the royals protecting Elise, as well as Scarlet and Jakob fighting the Malig Knights is probably one of my favorite scenes in this fic. I listened to Alight (Storm) as I wrote and reread it, I think it makes the scene better. Please reread it and listen to that song if you haven't. Oh, and I made two Nintendo references in Scarlet and Jakob's scene, one returns from Chapter 3 of the original Gray Whirlpool.
> 
> The reveal of Hans actually being articulate, and having this crazy scheme to destroy Nohr and rebuild it in his image has been planned for a long time. For those who don't recognize it, Hans is basically copying Senator Armstrong from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, with Corrin playing Raiden's role. It's rather strange just how well his speech works in this context.
> 
> Next time, Iago makes his glamorous last stand.
> 
> Conquest spoilers, so HERE'S YOUR WARNING!:
> 
> So I had a bit of a situation with trying to depict Lilith's death and everyone's reactions to it.
> 
> Lilith already died by this point in the Conquest fic, and I really tried to show how it hurt Corrin. So writing it all over again, without making it feel too similar was a bit of a challenge. Especially because I had to depict Flora's death and Corrin's heritage angst. So I worked a different angle by focusing more on Felicia and Jakob's reactions. Corrin reacts too, of course, but the servants have a lot more to say this time. As they should, Lilith was their friend too.
> 
> OKAY YOU CAN LOOK, NOW.


	20. The Iago Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iago puts the Hoshidans to the test with a little contest of his own creation.

Storming the castle was fairly easy, after the spectacle the Hoshidans made of defending themselves in the training grounds. A lot of soldiers even admitted to hating Hans and feeling relief in the knowledge that he was dead. This afforded the invaders little trouble as they made their way to the grand staircase. However…

"Guess _whoooooo!_ " a familiar, smarmy voice bellowed.

Silas put a finger to his chin. "Okay, just give me a second…"

Iago materialized a few meters before the army. "Second's over. It's me, Iago! The mmmmost powerful and mmmmmighty mmmmagic mmmmman in all of Nohr!"

"No fair, I was about to guess that!" Silas complained. "Extended M sounds and everything!"

"I swear he does that M thing on purpose," Jakob muttered.

The wizard flashed a grin at Elise. "Lady… uh… whichever one you are. Come with me and I'll shield you from these savages."

"Ew! Corrin, the creepy man wants me to go with him!"

"Don't listen to him, Elise!" Kamui warned. "And if he says he has candy, it's not true! Don't buy into the hype!" She leveled a fierce glare at him. "Iago, just get out of our way and maybe we won't kill you!"

Ryoma looked at her. "I believe that's my call to make." He shrugged. "But, yeah, pretty much what she said."

"What's the mmmmmatter, Corrin? Scared of a little bloodshed? That display back in the training grounds suggests otherwise!" He giggled. "So what's wrong? Revenge doesn't taste as good as you'd hoped? Further proof that you're not a real Nohrian after all."

"You're not a Nohrian!" Scarlet shouted. "You're just a rat in human's clothing! You don't care about Nohr or its people or anything! You're just looking out for yourself!"

Iago only shrugged. "Yeah, so? Now watch this."

Iago snapped his fingers, and Takumi gasped. His eyes dilated, and he immediately grabbed Azura by the throat and lifted her up. " **Die… die… die…** "

"Ah! Tak… no… help…"

"Takumi, put her down!" Hinoka scolded.

" **Kill… kill…** " Takumi grunted as he threw Azura across the room. " **HRAAAH!** "

Sakura and Hinoka immediately ran over to heal her. "Azura!"

"P-please hang on!"

" **Kill… die… kill… destroy… kill… kill… kill…** "

"Huh, Prince Takumi's vocabulary is deteriorating," Yukimura observed.

"Takumi, get a hold of yourself!" shouted Ryoma.

Iago sighed. "Mmmmust I spell it out? He's brainwashed!" Everyone gasped. "Ah, gasping. Anyway, yes. Some spies observed a change in Prince Takumi's behavior after he escaped the Bottomless Canyon. I mmmmmentioned it to King Garon and he taught me a useful spell! So one thing leads to another, and I have a new henchman!"

" **Kill… kill… kill…** "

"Broken record that he is." Iago cleared his throat. "And that's not all, folks! Want to know about our spy? I do believe we've left that mmmmmole subplot unchecked!"

Scarlet looked around. "…I give up! Who is it?"

"Me!" Izana declared.

"No, seriously, who is it?"

Izana gave her a look. "Guys, it was me! I was the mole!"

Ryoma approached Izana, lividly. "Would you care to repeat that?"

"Well you see, I was wondering what was going on with Garon! So I thought that if I got onto his good side, I could figure it out and then sock it to him! Y'know, how I pretended that Zola kidnapped everyone in Izumo? And how I didn't go into the old dragon fortress?" He held up a hand defensively. "But then I figured Scarlet had the right idea instead."

"…Are you insane?!" asked Yukimura. "You've been allies to the royal family for this long, and it was all a ruse?!"

"No, no, it was only a ruse until Cheve! After that, I was legit! I felt really guilty and started thinking about timelines where I died. And besides, I warned you guys about Fort Dragonfall!"

"No you didn't!" Mozu shouted.

"…Shoot, I knew I was forgetting something! So yeah I was going for that whole double agent thing. I just… didn't get around to betraying Iago yet. I meant to."

Ryoma began massaging his temples. "I… don't even care anymore. Let's just get past this magician!"

Elise nodded. "Yeah, he's even worse than Hans! Because he's actually smart! Most of the time!"

Kamui's eyes shifted from her sisters healing Azura, to Takumi breathing heavily, to Ryoma trying to escape a consolation back rub from Izana. "So… What does Takumi have to do with this again?"

"Oh, well, when Izana backed off, we just started looking through Takumi's eyes to figure your position. It worked mmmmost of the time. Except when he kept staring at the angry seamstress."

Everyone then looked toward Oboro. She blushed. "…What?!"

"That spell, it wouldn't work if not for some mmmmisery in Stud McCool's soul." Iago playfully tapped his chin. "What could it be? Mmmmiddle Child Syndrome perhaps? He's not the high prince, and he's the eldest princess, or the mmmissing princess. He's not the consolation princess, and he's definitely not the cute little healer princess."

"Wow, there are a lot of princesses in Hoshido," Shura said, running a hand through his hair. "Just how much free time did the king and queen have?! Freakin' royals…"

"Azura, try singing! Maybe that'll help!" Hinoka suggested, before wincing. "Uh, that won't hurt you will it?"

"I hope not… Ahem- Aaaah!" Azura became petrified, and Iago broke into laughter.

"Oh I love my sense of timing! Let's see if Takumi doesn't kill the rest of you before the spell on her wears off. But what's a mmmmassacre without a little entertainment?" Iago held his hands out, gesturing dramatically. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to… _THE IAGO SHOW!_ "

A gameshow-sounding rendition of Lost in Thoughts began playing as the grand staircase transformed. Iago stood at the top center, while two tables were assembled at the bottom.

"Good evening, I am Iago, and this is the Iago Show," Iago greeted. "With me are two competing families. Or should I say, a family divided? Let's say hello our first family, the mmmmiserable Hoshidans!"

On Iago's right, at the bottom of the stairs, was a table. Sakura, Kamui, Hinoka and Ryoma were all seated there. "Oh, but what's this? They don't have a fifth! Well, I guess they're disqualified! And I'm afraid there's only one fate for losers… ngyeheheh…"

"I'll help!" Elise announced. The studio audience gasped. "I'm Corrin's family too, whether you like it or not, Iago!"

"Grrr! Mmmiserable brat. Fine!"

The crowd cheered as Elise went over to sit in the empty seat between Sakura and Kamui. Iago turned to his left, the other table at the bottom. "And the second family!"

Takumi, Oboro, Yukimura, Silas and Mozu were seated together at the second table. Kamui did a double-take. "Guys, why are you helping him?! He's not himself!"

Oboro shrugged. "Well… he's still my liege!"

"And he just looked so lonely by himself, I had to help him," said Yukimura.

"Yeah, Prince Takumi's my friend, I couldn't leave him hanging," Silas told Kamui. "I mean… you're my friend too, but… Well I'm already here…"

"I just wanted to be with Silas," Mozu answered.

" **Die…** "

The remaining Hoshidan fighters sat on a wooden bleacher together, serving as the studio audience. Felicia frowned. "Aww, I wanted to play…"

Hana shook her fist. "Go, Lady Sakura! Kick their butts!"

Shura pulled out a bow. "I bet I could reach Iago from here."

"And no weapons allowed in the audience!" Iago quickly waved a Freeze staff, freezing the nonparticipants in place. "There we go."

"Hey, you shouldn't be able to use a Staff!" yelled Elise. "That's cheating!"

"So? Anyway, time to begin!" Iago clapped his hands. "The rules are simple: I provide the question, and one member of each family hits their buzzer. Get it right, and your family's table moves up a step, closer to me! The last team to get here… dies! Here's the score!"

**Team Hoshido: 0 points**   
**Team Takumi: 0 points**

"Let the games begin! First question: Remember that mmmmiscreant, Lilith? What pet activity did she do, back when you visited Izumo?"

A – Chewed on furniture  
B – Clawed at a curtain  
C – Ate someone's food

Silence.

"…What?!" Hinoka screeched. "We have to remember something like that?!"

"H-how did he know about that?" asked Sakura. "Oh wait, spies…"

"I wasn't there for that…" Ryoma mused.

"Just how much of our journey do you know, Iago?!" Kamui asked. Iago grinned.

"I would focus on the quiz, Corrin. Who knows what might become of Takumi or Azura if you don't? Ngyeheh…"

Oboro put a finger to her chin. "I remember Izumo. I think I saw some clawed curtains…" She hit the buzzer. "It was B!"

"Correct!" Iago called. With that, the table seating Takumi's team moved up by a few stairs. Ryoma glared.

"This is bad. We need to focus! Next question!"

With magic, Iago showed everyone a picture of flowing lava.

"Do you know where this is?"

A – Demon's Falls  
B – Fort Dragonfall  
C – Macarath Palace

Ryoma hit the buzzer. "It's the lava river! We were there earlier! The Demon's Falls!"

From the other table, Yukimura nodded. "Oh yes! Right as I joined you!"

"Yes… Ahem! How many words was Ryoma's monologue, back by the border fortress?" Iago asked.

A – 250  
B – 300  
C – 10 or fewer

Hinoka slammed her fists on the table. "Okay, this is stupid! Forget this!" She whistled for her Pegasus, then jumped out of her seat. Hinoka twirled her naginata over her head and managed to stay in the air long enough for her steed to fly under her. "Aha! Let's get 'im!"

Kamui frowned. "Wha… How did she do that?!"

"Oh, the Hinokopter? Yeah that's one of her signature techniques," Ryoma explained.

"But it defies physics!"

Ryoma looked to his stepsister. "…Kamui, you can transform into a dragon."

"W-well…"

Hinoka's Pegasus soared up the stairs, and she closed in on Iago. The Sorcerer gulped. "H-hey! This is cheating! You were mmmmeant to play the gameshow! Aaah!"

As soon as Hinoka's naginata connected, Iago's spell broke. The Hoshidans at the tables were freed, and the audience members were allowed to move again. Ryoma nodded. "Hoshidans! Attack!"

Iago stumbled backwards from Hinoka. "You think you've won?! Mmmmind slave! Attack!"

Takumi grunted and pulled out Fujin. He aimed it for Hinoka, but Oboro and Silas took the prince by the arms. "No, Lord Takumi! Don't do it! Come on, you know you're not this Nohrian's servant!"

" **Grrr… kill… must…** "

Silas nodded. "Oboro, keep talking to him! It's working!"

"Uh, I don't think it is."

" **Kill…** "

Oboro glanced around nervously. "Um, Lord Takumi? Can you hear me? Do you remember who I am?"

" **…Must…** "

Mozu smirked. "Oh! I seen it before! Ya gotta give him True Love's Kiss!"

"Guys, I really don't think that's gonna work!" Oboro said.

Silas winced. "Besides, Takumi can't really consent if he's under mind control, Mozu."

"But True Love's Kiss always works!"

"He's thrashing around in our arms, Mozu, I don't think he's gonna hold still for a kiss!" Oboro countered.

Silas looked over to Yukimura. "What do you think, Yukimura? Yea or nay on Oboro planting a big one on Takumi's face?"

"Please leave me out of this."

* * *

Scarlet's wyvern soared up the steps, but was soon matched in speed by Izana riding an energy dragon. "Hey Scarlet! Betcha your dragon's slower than mine!"

"I bet it's not! Race! Stat!"

The two dragons hurried faster up the stairs, while Shura and Hana were beginning to get winded.

"Geez… why are these stairs… so tall?!" Hana yelled.

Shura fell over. "I dunno… but when I find out… who built 'em… I'm gonna push him down… every step!"

At the bottom, Jakob and Felicia merely stared at the long path ahead of them. The maid let out a breath. "Hoo boy… I think I'm just gonna go heal Lady Azura instead. If she needs it."

"Indeed."

* * *

At the top, Iago found himself surrounded by the Hoshidan royals and Elise.

Elise crossed her arms. "Iago you jerk! Take the spell off Azura already! We're all gonna talk civilly with Father and you are going to like it!"

"Never!"

"Shut up, Iago! We outnumber you!" Kamui said, pointing Noble Yato at the wizard. Ryoma and Hinoka were doing the same with their weapons, while Sakura prepared an arrow. "You were hardly a match for us in Macarath, you can't have gotten much tougher since then!"

"That's where you're wrong! I was voted 'Mmmmost Popular Magician' in Windmire Mmmmonthly! And besides, the Iago Show is still going! **_OH YES!_** "

**Iago's Ratings: 10, 000  
** **Hoshidans' Ratings: 0**

Iago struck a pose. "As long as these ratings hold, I'm untouchable!" Ryoma came at Iago with Raijinto, but the sword had no effect. "What did I just say?!"

"Phooey! I hate Iago's rating magic!" Elise complained. Kamui turned to her.

"Elise, do you know how to beat him?"

"Yeah, you just make him less popular!"

"But I don't get it," Kamui said, shaking her head. "How is Iago so popular?!"

Elise giggled. "Heehee. He rigged the popularity contest. There's no way he'd beat _Odin_ in popularity!" Elise said Odin's name with some wistfulness. "I wonder what he's doing right now…"

Ryoma kept attacking Iago, to the point where the mage did not even to react. Sakura called out to him. "Ryoma! It's not working!"

"I know, but I never give up on anything!"

"But you're wasting energy!"

"Not now, Sakura!"

**(laugh track)  
** **+Comedy  
** **Iago's Ratings: 10, 000  
** **Hoshidans' Ratings: 200**

"What?!" Iago shuddered. "I feel your popularity! It's mmmoved! If this keeps up, you'll be able to damage me!"

Hinoka nodded. "Okay! We all have to be likable, then we can beat him!" She whipped her head to her left. "Sakura, be adorable!"

"Wh-what? But why? I-I-I don't know if I can…"

**Awww!  
** **+Adorable  
** **Iago's Ratings: 10, 000  
** **Hoshidans' Ratings: 800**

"Good!"

"Not so fast! Behold!" Iago immediately struck another pose, then began to cycle through them, one after another. "The mmmmarvelous dance mmmmoves of Iago! I bet none of you can dance like me!"

"I can!" Elise ran over to Iago and started breakdancing. "Yeah, look at me!"

Kamui was stunned. "Elise, since when could you dance like that?! …I want to learn it!"

"Nohrian dance-offs are intense, Corrin! I told you that before! …Wait, did I?"

**Woo!  
** **+Breakdancing  
** **+Iago getting served  
** **Iago's Ratings: 9, 875  
** **Hoshidans' Ratings: 1, 246**

Iago stopped dancing and hit Elise with the back of his hand. "Nobody likes a showoff!"

**Booo!  
** **+Hitting a young girl  
** **+Hitting his boss's daughter  
** **+Sympathy for Elise  
** **Iago's Ratings: 7, 999  
** **Hoshidans' Ratings: 2, 203**

"Gah!"

"Okay, now it's our turn, Hinoka!" Kamui called out. "We have to do something next!"

"Yeah! …Like what? I'm not funny or adorable, and I can't dance."

Kamui blinked. "…Same."

"Don't say that, you're adorable!"

"What? N-no! Th-that's just big sister bias!" Kamui said. "Uh… Wait! I have a joke!"

"Hit me!"

"Okay… So there's a sea cucumber, and it walks up to a mollusk- No wait! I got it backwards! It was a mollusk walking up to a sea cucumber! Wait, no… they can't walk. Or can they? Well, anyway one of them was just sitting there, and the other one was there. And the mollusk- was it the mollusk- yeah, it said- Oh. Wait. Mollusks normally can't talk, but-"

"Augh! You're just as bad as Ryoma!" Hinoka complained.

**(laugh track)  
** **+Unintended Comedy  
** **+Hinoka Frustration  
** **Iago's Ratings: 7, 999  
** **Hoshidans' Ratings: 3, 875**

"Grrr! All right, Hoshidans! I'm not done quizzing you! Here is your essay question!"

**_What is your favorite thing about Iago? (You have 30 seconds.)_ **

"Oh no! There's nothing to like about him, though!" Kamui cried. "Uh… I think it's kind of funny how he stretches out his M sounds?"

"Not really," Elise said. "If you're around him long enough, it just gets annoying."

"Elise!"

"Oh! Sorry Corrin!"

**(laugh track)  
** **+Faint Compliment  
** **(Iago will save this essay for future use.)  
** **Iago's Ratings: 7, 999  
** **Hoshidans' Ratings: 4, 001**

"Curse you, Hoshidans! I will have victory!" Iago started striking poses again. "Just look at these mmmmoves!"

"HOLD IT!" Izana dropped in from the top of his energy dragon. "I can dance too! I learned the Victory Dance back on Mt. Garou! I'll celebrate beating Scarlet to the top by using it on you! Behold!" Izana began dancing, and gradually getting faster and faster. "These dance moves have been passed down my family line! And I descend from gods, so they're _really_ good moves!"

**Go Izana! Go Izana!  
** **+Godly Dancing  
** **Iago's Ratings: 7, 999  
** **Hoshidans' Ratings: 6, 122**

Izana finished with a breakdance spin, and Iago shuddered. "N-no! You're all becoming popular! How?!"

Then Scarlet made it to the top. "Aw dang it! Anyway, you're going down, Iago! I represent the Chevois demographic, and we hate you!"

**Ooooh!  
** **+Political Controversy  
** **+Chevois  
** **Iago's Ratings: 6, 421  
** **Hoshidans' Ratings: 6, 122**

"We almost have him!" Sakura cheered. "But what else can we do?"

"Simple, really," a somewhat familiar voice called from behind Sakura. She turned around and found Prince Leo atop the final stairs.

"Y-you!"

Kamui, Hinoka and Elise also looked over, and Elise smiled. "Leo! There you are! Where'd you go?"

"Oh, I was on vacation, but I left something here." Leo descended the stairs. "Things sure got noisy while I was gone."

"Ah! Lord Leo! Please, assist me!" Iago beseeched.

"No, Iago, I don't think I will… For political reasons, I can see why you tried to attack Corrin. Heck, I tried that too." Leo turned his head. "Uh, sorry about that, by the way." Kamui awkwardly nodded and waved him off. "But yes, I seem to recall you attacking Elise. Iago, you have no reason to attack Elise."

"Uh… well… She started it!"

"Not only that, but we all know you cheated in that popularity contest. Odin is far more popular." Leo brought out Brynhildr and waved his hand. "Everyone, look! These are Iago's _real_ ratings!"

_Shing!_

**Iago's Ratings: -2034  
** **Hoshidans' Ratings: 6, 122**

Everyone gasped.

"No! My illusion, ruined!" Iago was moaning, but then stiffened immediately, as he felt Ryoma's hand on his shoulder. He dared to turn his head and saw nothing but cold disgust in the samurai's face. "Er, did I ever say that your red armor looks really good on you?"

"See your death."

"MMMMMMERCY- AAAAAH!" With just one cut, Iago was cut down. But to the Hoshidans' surprise, Iago's body exploded into a pile of gold coins on the floor.

**_KO!_ **

**+8000 Coins**

"…What was that?" Hinoka asked, noticing the pile of coins where Iago's corpse would have been.

"Oh, Iago put a spell on himself that he'd turn into money when he died," Leo explained. "Then his killer would take the money and use it, and get arrested for using counterfeit money." He shook his head. "Not the weirdest plan he's conceived, strangely."

"Leo!" The prince was thrown off by a surprise hug attack from Elise. "Leo, I missed you so much! Everything's been crazy around here!"

Leo found it in himself to return the hug. "I… missed you too, I suppose. Um, why are you with the Hoshidans? Unguarded?"

"Oh! I'm taking Corrin to see Father! And she said she'd try to talk things out with him before they try to kill each other!"

The prince looked over to Kamui, who nodded, and then back down to Elise. "Well… Good luck. You'll need it." He pat Elise's back, signaling her to let go. "I'm gonna get out of Dodge while I still can."

"Guys!" Takumi's voice caught everyone's attention. They all turned to find a winded Takumi, Oboro and Azura reaching the top of the steps. "Guys… I'm real sorry… about the mind control… But we're good now! Lemme at him! I can kill Iago!"

Everyone winced and refused to make eye contact with the Sniper.

"Oh don't tell me Ryoma beat me to it!"

Hinoka got off her Pegasus and came over to her little brother. "Takumi, listen to me. Do you feel… I dunno, ignored?"

"What? No! …Okay, sometimes."

Kamui shook her head. "Takumi, your resentment was what let Iago take control of you. If you feel lonely, just say so! We talked about this in Cheve!"

Takumi sighed. "Okay, my bad. I get it."

"Do you get it?" Oboro asked him.

"Yes! I get it!"

"T-to be fair," Sakura started, "didn't Takumi fall into the canyon before we reunited with him? So maybe the… the curse was grandfathered in. Or s-something."

Leo nodded. "That could work. That is a smart explanation. Perhaps we can discuss books sometime."

"Smooth, Leo," Elise teased.

"Whatever, I don't have to take this! I'm going back to Nestra, where things make sense! Odin and Niles are already outside waiting for me." Leo began to leave. "Elise, be safe. Corrin, please don't hurt Xander too badly, but don't let him kill you. And someone tell Camilla not to do anything rash. I'm out!"

Oboro watched him leave. "Hey, your collar-"

"I said I'm out!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for a few chapters, I thought about making the Hoshidans compete in a gameshow. This would be a reference to the gameshow chapter in my Sonic 06 fic. But once I got started, I was immediately bored of the idea. So I decided to work that into the chapter. Hinoka cheats at the game show and cancels it. But then the show comes back in the form of Iago ripping off Mettaton EX.
> 
> In the game, Takumi was the spy, and Azura saved him right before the chapter started. Here, they have a bit more trouble pulling that off. Originally that was so the Hoshidans could have an enemy team in the gameshow, back when I was still going to do it. But I kept it anyway. Also, Takumi wasn't the only mole- it was Izana all along. Or maybe not all, but yeah.
> 
> I struggled to think of a bit for Corrin and Hinoka during the Iago fight, to raise ratings. First I thought of another "Corrin's not wearing shoes" joke, but it was a little questionable. There's also the fact that I haven't had her turn into a dragon for a while, that could've impressed the audience. But ultimately I liked the Finding Nemo joke too much. She really is as bad as Ryoma at speeches.
> 
> About the way Iago died: Consider that foreshadowing of a certain fic I'm going to be writing soon. Within this month. That's all I'll say for now.
> 
> Next time... Xander...


	21. Xander Gon' Give It To Ya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As another Xander, Xander Mobus, once said... "THIS IS GOING TO SUCK!" (For the characters, not you. Unless you hate to feel sad.)

Xander had decimated the training dummy standing before him.

_"I choose Hoshido!"_

His grip on Siegfried tightened and he nearly took one more swing…

_"I've made my choice, Xander! Hoshido has done nothing wrong, and Garon is a monster!"_

But instead, he merely shook his head and left.

_"You're no sister of mine…"_

As Xander made his way to the reception room, his retainers caught up to him. The male retainer cleared his throat. "Um, Lord Xander? Can we talk about what we're going to do, now? It won't be very long until the Hoshidans get here, and our top generals are dropping like flies. You… You have a plan, yes?"

"Yeah! I wanna kill 'em!" Peri chirped.

Xander grimaced. "About that… You two won't be fighting. This is something I have to do on my own."

Laslow gaped. "What? Milord, are you really going to fight all the invaders? You're pretty good, but come on, even you couldn't take them all on!"

"What?" Xander turned back to Laslow. "Of course not! I'm going to engage Corrin in a duel. Single combat. One last round. She'll accept these terms. As much as she's changed, I suspect I can still predict her reactions, at least to a degree." He sighed. "And if she were to fall, I don't trust anyone to put her down as humanely as I would."

"Wait, isn't that red angry guy their leader though?" Peri asked. "You should kill him instead!"

"I… don't disagree with that. But I've made my cho-" Xander cut himself off. He could hear his former sister's own words. "…Nohr cannot abide traitors, least of all when they return to their castle and help slaughter half the army. Now go wait until this is over. And make sure no extra soldiers engage!"

"Aw, not even a little?" Peri asked. "I'll just stab one minor Hoshidan, no one will know!" She smirked. "Okay, I'd kill more than one. But-"

Xander glared at Peri. The homicidal Great Knight winced and shut her mouth.

"As you wish," Laslow sighed.

* * *

The Hoshidans had entered Castle Krakenburg. Camilla had given Kamui her blessing. Lilith had passed. Hans was killed. Iago tried to tear the royal family apart before Ryoma struck him down, with help from Leo. There was only one last obstacle keeping the Hoshidans from King Garon, and Kamui had been dreading him this entire time:

Xander.

"Aw man, these coins look fake!" Takumi griped. Oboro looked over at him.

"Oh, yeah I think the others were talking about how it was supposed to be counterfeit," the seamstress explained. Then Hinoka turned her head.

"Takumi, are you… did you take some of that money from earlier?"

The prince got defensive. "What?! It was right there!"

"It used to be Iago!"

Takumi shuddered and immediately dropped the change. "Gross."

"I don't like this," Shura muttered. "We're at the heart of the castle and we haven't run into anyone yet."

"Yeah, 'cause we scared them all off, back in the training grounds!" Hana boasted. "And I bet they heard what we did to that wizard!"

"Pfft! Like life is that easy!" Shura blinked. "Oh. There's someone. Honestly, I'm kinda relieved. I was getting nervous."

Sakura and Elise were together, and the Nohrian princess gasped. Sakura looked over. "What is it? Wh-what's wrong?"

"Xander!"

Everyone looked ahead, and there he was. Prince Xander stood in wait. "There you are… So it's come to this." He drew Siegfried from its scabbard, with an ominous energy emanating from the weapon's jewel. The whole room quaked, but the crown prince stood his ground, pointing his blade at the invaders. "Now, once and for all!"

Xander took a few steps forward, not once lowering his blade. "I've heard about the… incident in the training grounds," he started, "as well as the grand staircase. And while my views may differ from those of certain soldiers, I will not stand for the deaths of my countrymen. You have a lot to answer for!"

"As though we should stand for the death of our queen?!" Yukimura cried.

Takumi glared. "Yeah! You have some nerve claiming the moral high ground!"

Azura held her hands out. "All right, we don't need to get hostile with him."

To that, Ryoma nodded his head. "She's right." He then faced his opposite. "Stand down, Crown Prince. We-"

"Silence!" Xander focused his gaze on Kamui. "Corrin. You had to have known your path would eventually lead to this battle."

Kamui said nothing and looked away. "Yes… But… If we could just-"

"Xander, stop right now!" Elise cried, stepping out to the front. Xander gasped upon seeing her. "I don't want to see you two fight!"

"Elise, you shouldn't be here right now," he said in an eerily calm tone.

"What, so you can kill Corrin behind all our backs?!"

The prince sighed. "It's not that simple, Elise. Corrin has become a threat to Nohr. All of your 'friends' have. And being in the position I'm in, I cannot abide any threat to Nohr! As the future ruler, I _am_ Nohr! Whether I like it or not!"

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. Azura raised her eyebrow. "What is it?"

"He… he doesn't sound _dissimilar_ from me…"

"Corrin," Xander called. "I challenge you to a duel. You and me, nobody else will fight. To the death. Do you accept these terms?" And then he awaited her response.

Kamui sighed. _There's no talking to him, is there? But maybe if I can defeat him without killing him… Maybe_ then _I can talk some sense into him!_ She nodded, firm in her resolve. "I accept."

The prince nodded, knowingly, while Elise ran up to Kamui. "Corrin, no! You can't!"

"Kamui, are you sure?" Takumi asked. "That guys looks tough."

Silas winced. "Yeah, Kamui… I've actually seen Lord Xander fight, and he's a monster! He's not ruthless like Camilla, but still!"

"We can have Felicia hide in a vantage point and throw daggers at him if you wish," Jakob offered.

"What?"

Kamui shook her head. "No, everyone. I'm sorry. But I think this is the only way."

Ryoma folded his arms. "I agree. As such, I'll allow it. Watch yourself, Kamui."

As Kamui and Xander made their way to the center of the room, Sakura began to shiver. Hinoka put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Elise stubbornly followed.

"No! This isn't right!"

Xander glared. "Stand down, Elise."

"I'm sorry, Elise. But… we have to fight."

Elise's eyes began to water, and she immediately hugged Kamui. "No! Now you're going to fight! This is my worst nightmare! I should've been more convincing! You and Xander are going to fight after all and it's all my fault!" She began to sob.

Kamui returned the hug. "Shhh… It's okay, Elise. It's not your fault. You did all you could. Besides, we couldn't have even made it this far without you. Thank you." She then separated from Elise, and put her hands on the younger girl's shoulders. "You'll always be my little sister."

"C-Corrin…"

Xander remained quiet the whole time, and Kamui wondered if that was from graciousness. When Kamui let go, she and Xander finally entered the central chamber. Elise watched them leave while Silas, Sakura and Felicia all gathered around her. Ryoma and Azura walked past them.

"I'm going to make sure Prince Xander doesn't try anything," Ryoma explained. "I told the others."

"And I'm going to make sure Ryoma doesn't try anything in the heat of the moment," said Azura.

"…Fair enough."

Elise watched the two of them leave. She tried to follow, but Silas grabbed her by the arm. "Lady Elise… Why not just stay here?"

"But, I… I have to do something!"

* * *

Kamui and Xander stood opposite each other in the reception hall's central chamber. "Corrin… This is it."

"…Yeah. It is…"

"I'm not going to hold back, Corrin."

"I know…"

"And neither should you."

"I… I know…"

"One of us will fall," Xander stated. "I'm… sorry. But it's the only way."

Kamui shut her eyes. "I'm sorry too. And you're right. Okay. I'm ready."

"Begin!"

Xander immediately swung his sword, creating a beam for Kamui to dodge. She gasped and narrowly dodged it with a roll. A second beam, however, was already headed for her new position, and it struck true, inciting a scream. "Corrin, I've trained you better than that. You mock me."

Kamui said nothing and got back up. She ran right up to Xander, before he could get the chance to swing Siegfried again. "HAAA!" She made a few quick swings with her blade, and Xander barely managed to block them with his shield. "Gah!" Kamui then tried one of her preferred techniques- to dodge-roll behind Xander and hit him with an uppercut slash. But the prince had anticipated that and followed her movements, ready to meet her sword with his shield. "Aah!"

"You'll have to try harder than that." Xander took a few steps back and swung Siegfried once more, knocking Kamui down with the blade's beam. "We're done here."

"Aaahh…! Blast… How'd I beat you that one time…?!"

"Luck."

In the distance, Xander's retainer had been keeping a steady eye on the duel. "Well, Lord Xander seems to be winning. I'd better calm Peri down…"

Ryoma shook in place. " _Kamui… Get up_ ," he thought aloud. Azura tightened her grip on the staff she was fond of carrying.

"Oh no…"

"Xander…" Kamui gasped. "Come on! We can still… talk about this! This isn't… this isn't right!"

Xander merely glared. "And who decided that? You? Your other family? I disagree all the same. To me, what isn't right is a princess who betrays her own kingdom. I said it before, but I am the Crown Prince of Nohr. Nohr's needs are my needs. Nohr's problems are my problems. I must do right by Nohr! I'm not allowed to think of myself!"

Elise ran past Ryoma and Azura, startling them both. She spoke to herself. "No, no, no, no!"

"What?"

"Elise?!"

Xander raised his sword, walking closer to Kamui. "Thus… in order to restore Nohr's glory, I sentence you…"

"Xander…"

"No, no, no, no!"

"…to death!"

Kamui shut her eyes, thus did not see Elise getting in the way, taking the attack meant for her.

"Xander, don't- Aaaaaahh!"

Kamui's eyes shot open. She saw Elise falling to the floor, as Xander stared in horror. Siegfried clattered on the floor as Xander dropped it, already cradling his youngest sister.

"Elise! You- I didn't- But- You… Can you speak?!" Xander stuttered.

"Elise, stay with us!" Kamui cried. She joined Xander and tried to fish out a festal from her satchel. "C'mon… I can't have run out! Aah! Vulneraries? Anything?!"

"Elise!"

"…S-sorry… Xander… Corrin… I didn't mean to…" The princess struggled to keep her eyes open. "But… can you… please stop…? Killing each other… won't solve… anything… nohr needs you… more than… me… anyway… … sorry…"

Xander and Kamui saw as the light faded from Elise's eyes. She had passed on.

"E-Elise…" Xander began to choke up. "This… you weren't… I…"

"Elise… no…" Kamui started shedding tears.

Still shuddering, Xander went to retrieve Siegfried.

"…W-we must resume."

Kamui looked up from Elise, tears still in her eyes. "Wh-what?! No! Didn't you hear-"

"I did!" Xander yelled. "B-but… I am… not… al-allowed… to think of myself…"

The red-eyed princess stood up. "Listen to yourself! You're not a Faceless! Our sister is-"

"Don't!"

Kamui was about to respond, but said nothing. Ryoma and Azura remained in the doorway, equally disturbed by the turn of events. Ryoma merely shook his head. "This… This isn't right…"

Then Laslow returned to his own vantage point. "Now, let's see how- Oh! Oh gods… Is that Lady Elise? No… Did Corrin…" Laslow turned his head back. "PERI! WE'RE ATTACKING! GET THE SOLDIERS!"

Xander and Kamui both gasped, and the prince gritted his teeth. "Laslow… I told him not to interfere…"

Azura turned to Ryoma. "Ryoma, we should join the others, right now!"

"You're right."

Xander said nothing, allowing Azura and Ryoma to leave. Kamui was exasperated. "What?! Xander, our soldiers are going to kill each other! I thought this duel was meant to avoid that!"

"It was… But I don't really care anymore." Xander's voice was devoid of all emotion. He dully pointed Siegfried at his opponent. "Now… Fight me."

"I won't-" Kamui was interrupted by a beam from Siegfried, knocking her to the floor.

"That wasn't a request."

* * *

"Ryoma! What happened?" Sakura asked. "There are soldiers attacking everyone!"

Ryoma shook his head. "Elise… was struck down. It was an accident on Prince Xander's part. One of his own must have misunderstood the situation and ordered an attack." He drew Raijinto. "Stay on your guard, these soldiers won't hold back."

"That's… horrible!" Felicia said. "Oh gods!" She began to breathe faster, but slapped herself. "No! I can't…"

Silas winced. "This is… Ahh, I should've restrained her better!"

* * *

Hana and Shura were still together, the stubborn Swordmaster taking out any challengers, while the Adventurer sniped at them from a distance.

"Where were these guys earlier?! Were they all just hiding?!"

Shura felt swamped, constantly preparing new arrows. "I take it back! I liked it better when it was just Xander!"

Scarlet and her wyvern flew past a mob of Bow Knights, avoiding their arrows and heading right for Hana and Shura. "Guys, I don't mean to alarm you, but Peri's on her way!"

Shura moaned while Hana just shrugged. "Okay? I don't know who that is."

"Only the most bloodthirsty of all the royal retainers!" Shura exclaimed. "From a young age, she's been known to murder people at the drop of a hat! Sometimes for even less reason!"

"Aww, you've heard of me!" a raspy voice brought chills down Shura and Scarlet's spines. The two of them and Hana noticed a Great Knight with unusual hair, a lance, and… a frown. "Normally I'd be flattered! And I get to kill you! But I'm not in a good mood right now! Killing isn't fun when it happens to Lord Xander's sister!"

"Lord Xander's…" Scarlet gasped. "Wait, Elise?!"

"Yup! Now I'm gonna poke your guts out!" Peri shouted. She went for Shura first, but the Adventurer was saved by an intervention from Hana. "No fair!" Peri looked around. "Guards! Someone help me kill these guys!"

A few more Bow Knights appeared. Their constant attacks kept Scarlet at bay, leaving Peri with better odds against her opponents. But it was not to last.

"I'll help out!" Izana's voice was audible. The archduke hurried onto the scene and waved a scroll twice, creating two energy dragons. "Aaaand GO!"

The dragons went after a few of the Bow Knights. Peri turned her horse around to attack Izana, which opened her to an arrow from Shura. "OW! Oh… shoot…"

Peri lost consciousness and fell off her horse. Shura merely stared. "Oh gods I actually beat Peri. Thanks for distracting her."

"Well I am hard to resist," Izana boasted, but followed with a wince. "Huh… It doesn't really feel right to say something like that right now."

"No, it really isn't right," Shura told him.

"C'mon, we can't just stand here!" cried Hana. "There's still more of them!"

* * *

Laslow made his way to a back-to-back Takumi and Oboro. "You dastards. You think you can simply do what you want? I may be a flirt, but Lady Elise had my utmost respect!"

"What are you talking about?" shouted Takumi. "We didn't kill her!"

"It's just like a Nohrian to blame everything on us!" Oboro told her enemy.

"Oh please. Who else would have done it? Lord Xander? Not a chance. Now…" Laslow approached the two. Takumi tried to fire at Laslow, but the Hero twirled to avoid the arrow. His approach had all the grace of a dance. Oboro took over the offensive and blocked Laslow's sword with her naginata. "Ah. Sorry love, but I'm not in the mood tonight."

Oboro growled and swung her naginata, but Laslow expertly dodged. "REND HEAVEN!" Oboro twirled again and hit Laslow with a lunging attack. After connecting, she prepared to swing again, but Laslow performed a flawless backflip to avoid it. "What?!"

"Ah… Aha!" The Nohrian focused on Oboro for a moment and slashed her, knocking her down. Immediately after, he took a deep breath. "Ah, Sol. It never fails me." However, this left the man open to one of Takumi's arrows. "Oooh!"

"How dare you?!" Takumi roared. Laslow glared at him.

"Aah… wind arrow… that's new…" Laslow observed, speaking through his teeth. He quickly caught his breath. "Ah… But I'm afraid all bets are off. Thank whichever one of you killed Lady Elise for that. WHOA!" Laslow rolled along the ground to avoid a second arrow, putting him closer to Takumi. "Not bad, but now I have you right where I-"

"Leave him alone!" Hinoka flew in and took Laslow down with her naginata. "Phew…" Hinoka pulled out a festal and waved it in Oboro's direction. The Spear Master got back up and bowed.

"Thank you, Lady Hinoka."

"They beat Sir Laslow! Get them!" a Great Knight shouted. Takumi groaned.

"These knights stick together. Why couldn't we have fought _these_ guys back in the training grounds? They wouldn't stand for Hans trying to kill Elise…"

"They were probably too scared of him," explained Hinoka. "Kamui was telling me what a real madman he was. But right now we have to focus!"

* * *

Jakob, Mozu and Yukimura had formed a back-to-back triangle. They were respectively throwing, shooting and launching projectiles at any incoming soldiers. Azura stood in the center to sing and keep watch.

"I simply cannot believe it," Jakob said. "Why would Prince Xander do that?!"

"It was an accident, wasn't it?" asked Mozu. "Azura described it that way, at least."

Yukimura's face scrunched in disgust. "I'm afraid that's what happens in war. All the same, I'm growing weary of it. I could not imagine if it were Sakura, or any of Lady Mikoto's children…"

Jakob sighed. "I cannot imagine how Lady Kamui feels now. And… I think I may also miss Lady Elise now that she's gone. She always did make everyone smile when she'd visit the fortress… nearly every day…"

"Jakob, focus!" Mozu shot another arrow. "Ya can't just go and get too sad to fight!"

"She's correct," Yukimura stated.

"Like I need you to tell me that." Jakob threw a dagger. "Still… How many more of us are going to die before this ends?"

* * *

Kamui and Xander's duel continued. They had been going at it for a while, and both were worse for wear. Though of the two, Xander was clearly the more disheveled. There were cuts in his armor, and some of it had actually fallen off. His shield was nowhere to be found. Kamui examined her opponent.

 _His stance is all wrong. It's like his mind is in another place! His sword strikes feel… token. He clearly doesn't want to fight, but he's doing it anyway! Why?!_ Kamui avoided a swing, and hit Xander with a counterattack. _This is too easy, way too easy! He's not even using Siegfried's beam attack!_

"Prepare yourself," Xander droned. He attempted an overhand strike, and it was very telegraphed. Kamui struck him in the torso while he was open, interrupting his attack. "Rrrgh!"

Kamui stepped back a few paces. _Did I really get that much stronger? No, that can't be. I know how Xander fights, and this isn't it! Is he-_

"Are you going to fight me or not?!" Xander finally showed some emotion. Kamui finally got over her shock and confusion and glared.

"Are _you?!_ Xander, what are you doing? Are you holding back?! I thought you were fighting for Nohr! I could hardly scratch you, before! But now you're hardly trying!"

"…I have no idea what you're referring to." Kamui did not believe that. "Now fight me! If you wish to reach Father, then you must get through me! I won't stand down!" Xander approached Kamui, rather than attack from a distance.

Kamui ran up to Xander. Her speed was greater, her form was more correct, her grip on her weapon stronger.

The siblings met each other, preparing their blades. They both attacked…

"Aaaah!" Xander fell to his knee.

But it was no contest.

"You've… done it, Little… Princess… ughhh…" Xander fell onto his side.

"Xander!" Kamui hurried over by Xander's side. "Xander, are you okay?!"

"Aah… Good… job, Corrin… You've avenged… Elise…"

The princess remained silent, processing what her brother had just told her. She shivered, as the last piece fell into place. "Xander… This whole fight… Were you… Did you want me to kill you?!"

Xander grunted in pain. "You can… interpret this… how you'd like…"

"Xander!" She turned Xander onto his back.

"And look… you've become the strong… princess I knew… you could be. I'm so proud…"

"Xander, why…"

The dying prince managed to frown. "There… are only two paths… for me. To protect and honor Nohr… or to die…" He felt Kamui's tears falling on his face. "Stop… crying, Little Princess…" Then, his frown became a smile. "I'll always remember… my visits to the fortress… with our siblings… Heh. Heh." He chuckled, though it pained him. "Elise was a messy eater… Leo wore his boots wrong… Camilla doted… on you… Precious… memories…"

Kamui was trying to hold back her sobs. "But… we could've had more memories! Why didn't you listen to me? To Elise?! Camilla and Leo could-"

"I told you… before… They're not the crown prince… They still have a choice… Ask your Hoshidan brother, and he'd… tell you the same…"

To that, Kamui had no counterargument. Xander began coughing violently, which snapped her out of it. "Xander, if you can just hold on, I can go find Sakura o-or Felicia or-"

"No. If you heal me… I'll fight… again… This is the only… way…" Xander told her.

"But… I don't want it to be this way! Why can't we just be a family?!"

Xander chuckled, which became more of a cough. "Would that I could… make my own… fate… It would be different… but it's not." He allowed his eyes to glance over at where he believed Elise to be. "I failed… as an older brother… and a prince… But you… can surpass me. You and… Leo… and Camilla." Xander smiled one last time. "Now go… I need to catch up… with her... I hope she won't be… too mad…"

"Sh-she'll be pretty upset," Kamui assured, trying to smile. "B-but you know she loves you!"

"Heh… The four of you… you made it all feel… worth it… _thank you…_ " he whispered. Kamui gasped.

"Xander?"

"…"

"X-Xander! I… You… ugh…" She could not take it anymore.

Kamui did not know how long she had cried before Ryoma, Sakura, Felicia and Silas had approached her. She did not care, either.

"Kamui, I'm… so sorry," Ryoma said. "It couldn't have been easy…"

"I-is there anything I can do to help them?" asked Sakura.

Kamui shook her head. "No… Is everyone all right out there?"

Silas nodded, and Felicia went over to embrace her liege. "Oh Kamui, I'm so sorry! B-but I remember what you told me, with Lilith… Lord Xander and Lady Elise wouldn't want you to stay here and cry, right?"

"That's right…" Kamui put her arms around Felicia, and Ryoma turned to Silas.

"Gather everyone else. King Garon isn't much further. We'll finish this tonight..." Ryoma then looked down at Xander and felt a chilling realization:

It could have just as easily been him, in another life.

"...Before we lose anyone else."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Welp. That happened.
> 
> Special Announcement: Next week will be the final update. I'll post the first half on Friday, then the second on Saturday.
> 
> Want to know a story I have about Elise dying? Someone spoiled it for me before I bought the game. But I didn't believe them. Oh how wrong I was. I remember I didn't really like Elise at first, because she sounded really bratty in Corrin's Smash Bros. trailer. But as I played through Birthright, she grew on me. I was appropriately sad for this moment, and then felt happy when she joined me in Revelation (the second path I played). So Elise has come a long way. Likely within my Top 10 Fates characters. Xander on the other hand... it was hard to like him for a while. Have you read my fic, Xander's Own Revelation? I came up with that a day before I played this chapter. And then I held it off because I didn't want to portray Xander in any comedic light for a while.
> 
> So this chapter is another one that's more drama than comedy. I could probably make jokes about the events in this chapter, but it wouldn't feel right. There are a few jokes, of course, but still. I know some people don't like that Xander chose to keep fighting after Elise's last request, but... he is such a robot for Nohr that I can honestly see him going through with the fight. But the way his stats drop and how pathetic he is as an opponent, not to mention his guilt, some say that he was trying to get Corrin to kill him. As in, he meant to fight at first, but then he lost all will to go on after he kills Elise. I don't know how true that is, but that's what I chose for this story.
> 
> I really don't know what Elise's death accomplished, from a narrative perspective. The pointlessness and indiscriminate death that comes with war? I don't know. But other than Flora's death, this was the second moment that made me want to play Revelation. (And again, I was relieved when Elise did join in that path.)
> 
> Laslow and Peri- I didn't get to fighting them when I played this chapter, so they survived my Birthright run. Here, their fates are left to interpretation. Kind of like Kaze. I've read that some people have found enough wiggle room to suggest that maybe Elise didn't die. But... come on. Let's not go there, guys. It happened. I might buy that argument for a certain someone else in Revelation, but not here.
> 
> Next time... King Garon awaits.


	22. Father of the Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hoshidans finally confront King Garon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: Tomorrow I will upload the final chapters.

At long last, the Hoshidans had reached the heart of Castle Krakenburg. They ascended the final stairway, ready to take on King Garon. The recent battle with Xander and his forces, as well as the circumstances surrounding the battle, weighed heavily on a few of the Hoshidans. Kamui in particular felt very tense.

_Stay calm… stay calm… It's almost over. This is what we've been waiting for._

"Hey Kamui!" Izana put a hand on her shoulder, startling the princess.

"Aah!" She turned to face him. "What do you want?"

The Onmyoji smiled. "I have some good news for you! While we were all resting up from that last fight, I did some meditating. And the gods actually had a message they wanted me to deliver!"

"…They did?" Kamui was not certain if she could trust Izana.

"Oh yeah! They wanted me to tell you that… what was his name, Gunther? That guy, he's still alive."

"You mean _Gunter_. …Wait, he's alive?!" Kamui put her hands on Izana's shoulders. "How?! Where?! Is he okay?!" She shook Izana furiously. "Come on, tell me!"

"Aaaah! I don't know! That's all the gods said!" As Kamui let go, Izana cleared his throat. "You were gonna talk to that sage guy after the war, right? Why not just ask him?"

Kamui remembered her talk with the Rainbow Sage, and her vow to visit him once more. She nodded, thinking that would be a good start. Kamui was not the only one thinking of her life after the war, though. Takumi and Ryoma spoke together.

"Hey Takumi. You're pretty smart, you should study government. I think you'd be good at it."

"Uh, okay?"

"I'm glad we had this talk."

Takumi blinked. "…Why the random life advice? Is this about earlier?"

"No! …Yes. Yes it is," he admitted. "You have a lot of potential, and I don't like how you don't seem to see it. Hinoka's found her calling as a warrior, Kamui wants to learn more about Hoshido, Azura has her singing, Sakura's devoted to the shrine, and I'm going to be the king." He internally added 'whether I like it or not' in Xander's voice. "But you haven't mentioned what you want to do. Have you thought of doing anything in particular?"

"I… I guess not…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I was thinking of helping Oboro restart her parents' business. Or something like that."

"So economics?"

"I guess?"

Yukimura ran up to the brothers, carrying his mechanism under his arm. "What's this?! Is Lord Takumi going to take my place?! Lord Ryoma, I thought I was like a parental figure to you! What did I do wrong?!" He fell to his knees. "I'll do anything for my job back! Please! This is all I have!"

"Whoa! Easy there!" Ryoma tried to calm him.

"Easy for you to say!" Yukimura retorted. Takumi tugged at his collar and sidestepped away.

Elsewhere, Hinoka called out to Jakob, Felicia and Silas. "Hey you guys. I just wanted to thank all of you for fighting with us all this time. I didn't trust any of you at first, but you've proven yourselves."

Silas pumped his fist. "Yes! Finally!"

"Aw, thank you Lady Hinoka!" Felicia said with a smile. "I mean, I'm technically not Nohrian, but I get it!"

Jakob nodded. "I judge others on their competence, not their nationality. And you've proven quite capable yourself. If a bit tomboyish."

"…You have a problem with that?" Hinoka asked darkly. Felicia put her hand over Jakob's mouth.

"Sorry! He doesn't do the whole… 'politeness' thing."

Further back, Sakura walked with Azura. "Azura, do you… do you want to come back with us after the war?"

"Huh? Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

She smiled. "Oh, thank goodness! I was worried you… you were just waiting for Garon to… to die, before you came back to Nohr."

Azura returned Sakura's smile and pat her shoulder. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me, Sakura. I can't leave my family behind."

Shura had been walking a few feet behind the sisters, and overheard their talk. Hearing Azura refer to the Hoshidans as her family, the Adventurer allowed himself to smile. Last, but not least, Scarlet and Mozu were together.

"All right! Time to beat Garon up!" Scarlet chanted. "You ready for revenge, Mozu?"

Mozu sighed. "Not really. It won't bring my village back." She focused on the corridor ahead of her. "I just want this to be over."

"…Oh. Well I feel a bit awkward then."

The crowd's mood was optimistic. It had to be, because pessimism would not help them fight their final battle against the strongest warrior in all of Nohr. Kamui once told her new family that Xander learned all he knew from King Garon. But what secrets did Garon keep for himself?

Ryoma led the group. With Kamui, Hinoka and Takumi close behind him, he opened the doors to Garon's throne room.

The point of no return.

* * *

The sound of the door opening woke Garon from his nap. "Huh?! Wuzzat?! Aw, the danged hippies?! In mah own castle?!"

"You… didn't know?" Ryoma asked him.

"Know what? Aw, don't matter." Garon stood up and grabbed his trusty axe, Bolverk. His eyes scanned the crowd of Hoshidans. "Now… where is she… Oh! Heheheh…" Garon found Kamui. "My prodigal daughter returns."

"You're not my father! You were never my father!" Kamui yelled. "You ripped me from my life in Hoshido just to lock me away in some old fortress, and then send me on a suicide mission to Hoshido to kill their queen!"

Ryoma nodded, standing ready with Raijinto. This stance alerted the others that they should prepare for battle as well.

Garon shrugged. "Yeah so? I needed her dead!"

"You fiend!" Ryoma cried. "You had no right to kill King Sumeragi or Queen Mikoto! Or those innocent people in Shirasagi!"

Takumi glared at him. "And don't say, 'for the good of Nohr'! Your own henchmen don't even care about Nohr! That wizard of yours was gonna destroy the countryside by resurrecting Fort Dragonfall!"

"And Hans ordered his men to attack Princess Elise!" Hinoka added.

Kamui nearly flinched at the memory of that. She took another breath to stay focused. Garon rolled his eyes. "Whatever! Elise ain't gonna take the throne anyhow! That's what Marx is for."

"Marx?" Kamui narrowed her eyes. "You mean _Xander_? How could you forget his name?! How could you not care if Elise were killed?!" She took a step forward. "Because she was! Sh…she and Xander both…"

"Huh. That might set me back a little," Garon admitted.

"Gods, this guy doesn't even care about his own kids!" Takumi exclaimed. "His oldest and youngest die, and all he can say is 'oh how inconvenient for me'! What is his deal?!"

"Yeah, he's evil, but I thought he'd at least care about his family…" Hinoka replied. Scarlet overheard them and shook her head.

"Nope. Rotten to the core."

Felicia shivered. "I… I think I hate him!"

" _Took you long enough_ ," Jakob whispered.

"That's it!" Kamui prepared Noble Yato and dashed up the throne's steps toward Garon. Ryoma reached out to stop her, but she was too fast. "No mercy!" She took a swing, and Garon simply waited and withstood it. He did not even block. "What?!"

"…My turn."

"But-"

"HYA!" Garon swung his axe, and Kamui fell all the way to the floor. "Woo! I can do this all night! Who's next?!"

Kamui's brothers prepared to attack Garon, while Kamui herself crawled back to the group. Jakob and Felicia got down on their knees to tend to Kamui's wounds. "Milady, how are you feeling? Do you need me to carry you?"

"No… I'll be fine…"

Azura went up beside the trio. "Kamui, I think that if I sing, I can weaken-"

"NOPE!" Garon waved his free hand and threw a fireball at Azura.

"AAAAAH!"

Everyone gasped. Felicia stood up and put out the fires with her ice magic, before healing her too. Everyone else glared at King Garon, including Sakura.

"Wh-why are you like this?!" the littlest princess cried. "Y-you weren't always this way! What happened?!"

Garon grinned. "HA! So even the little one's got guts. I respect that." He then shrugged. "Not gonna stop butcherin' y'all, but still." Sakura shivered, but kept her yumi focused on Garon. Izana giggled. "And what's so funny, woman?!"

"Uh, I'm a guy. Also, a prediction of mine's about to come true!"

"Huh?"

Ryoma gasped. Everyone looked and found that his Raijinto began to glow. Kamui and Takumi examined their own weapons, and Kamui's glowed as well. In a flash of light, Yato changed its form again. As soon as Kamui could see again, she held her sword aloft.

"…Blazing Yato!" She immediately glared at her former king. "It's over now!"

Garon cringed. "Uh… wasn't expectin' that. Ahem! **GUARDS! NOW!** " From out of nowhere, more Nohrian fighters appeared. Garon began to laugh as all the Hoshidans grouped together. "Come fight me! If you can even reach me!"

"Lady Hinoka, Silas and Shura, the three of you defend the right side!" Yukimura ordered. "Scarlet, defend the left side with Mozu and Izana!"

"How come you said my name last?!" Izana cried. He went ignored.

"I will stay back with Felicia and Jakob. Lady Sakura, Lord Takumi, take care of any enemies with your arrows. Lady Azura, sing for us as needed! We're all presuming Lord Ryoma and Lady Kamui will take point. And that should do it!" Yukimura flashed Takumi a smug grin. "Think you can devise a better formation than that, Lord Takumi?"

"Dude."

"You'll never take my job from me!"

"Sheesh, calm down already!" Takumi replied.

Silas shook his head. "Man, if Takumi dies here, you're gonna feel real guilty, Yukimura." Hinoka glared at him.

"Don't even say something like that!"

"Well I mean… it could happen, you never know…"

"Silas!" She was getting furious.

* * *

"Kill that guy! He has nice boots!" A Hero led a small group of Bow Knights toward Shura. The Adventurer groaned.

"Oh come on! Why does everyone want my lousy boots?!"

Silas decided to take the lead. "Guys! Stand down!" He held his hand out, motioning for the enemies to stop. "I order you to stop fighting!"

Hinoka gave Silas another look. "Are you serious right now?"

"It's okay, I'm Nohrian, they wouldn't hurt one of their own."

Shura's eyes nearly bugged out. "What?! Have you _seen_ Garon?! Or his henchmen?! What about Scarlet?! What about _you?!_ "

The Hero stopped before Silas and his horse, and the Paladin smiled. "Frank, it's me! Silas! C'mon we don't need to fight!"

"I always hated you, Silas!" The Hero performed a Sol attack on Silas, knocking him off his horse. "You and your cowlick!"

"Ow…" Silas stood up, pressing a hand to a new wound on his torso. "Frank… you seem mad… Wanna talk about it?"

"My name isn't even Frank! Ugh… fire at will," Not Frank ordered. The Bow Knights all aimed for Silas and Hinoka, but Shura took a chance and put Frank in a headlock. "Hey!"

"All right, tough guys! Nobody make a move or Frank here gets it!"

"Whatever, we don't even like Frank!" said one of the Bow Knights. Silas gasped.

"What?! After all he's done for you?!"

A female Bow Knight rolled her eyes. "He eats my rations!"

Silas looked over to Shura's hostage. "Frank, why would you do that?"

"I was hungry!" Not Frank answered.

A Bow Knight near the back, one actually named Frank, started looking around nervously, wondering if the intruders were going to go after him as well. "Uh, maybe we should listen to them?"

"Good idea, Other Frank. That guy still owes me money anyway," said a fourth Bow Knight. "All right, we'll retreat."

Just like that, the Bow Knights all left. Shura pilfered Not Frank's sword and allowed him to leave as well. The whole time, Hinoka merely stared.

"…Am I actually awake right now?"

* * *

Izana yawned, attacking a Great Knight with his personal scroll. Behind him, Mozu found herself stepping back from a Wyvern Lord. "Got ya now, little Hoshidan!"

Mozu glared and reached into her pocket. She quickly flicked her hand, throwing something at the wyvern.

"Pocket Sand! Go!"

"RAAAAA!" The wyvern flailed about, freeing Mozu to snipe at it with her bow.

Then Scarlet flew past, causing Mozu to reflexively throw Pocket Sand at her wyvern, having the same effect. "Aaaah! What happened to my wyvern?!"

"Oh. Shucks..."

Further back, Jakob watched this unfold. He narrowed his eyes. "Well, the left flank seems to be falling apart. Good job, Mr. Yukimura."

Yukimura narrowed his eyes. "You watch your tone, young man! I know you come from this barbarian country, but back in Hoshido, we respect our elders!" He quickly pressed a button to fire an arrow at a far-off Wyvern Lord. "If you wish to stay in Hoshido to serve Lady Kamui, you'd best learn our customs."

"Hmph. I do not answer to you nor to any king or queen," Jakob told the Mechanist. "Lady Kamui is the only one from whom I receive orders."

Felicia leaned down to whisper to Yukimura, " _Just ask Lady Kamui to tell Jakob something and then he'll do it._ "

"Two can play at this game, Felicia!" Jakob turned to Yukimura again. "Get ready to listen to the sounds of shattering plates! Felicia can't go a day without breaking something!"

"That is only… mostly true," Felicia said. "Did you know Jakob won't eat vegetables?"

"Felicia's tea is swill!"

"Aw, you think it's swell? Thank you, Jakob! I knew I could do it eventually!" Felicia cheered.

Yukimura hung his head. "Oh why has Lady Kamui involved herself with these imps?"

* * *

" _If you want to be a villain number one/you have to chase a superhero on the run! Just follow my moves and sneak around!/Be careful not to make a sound!"_ Azura sang. Sakura and Takumi felt rejuvenated, thus able to shoot more and more arrows at enemies that Shura and Mozu would not have reached. The Sniper prince smirked.

"Ha! I'm the strong one in this family!"

Sakura looked over to him. "Takumi, that's not entirely- Uh, I mean th-that's right! You are! Mmhmm…"

"…You're patronizing me."

"Uh… No I'm not!" the princess lied. "Y-you really are the strong one!"

"Less talking, more shooting, guys. I didn't sing just so you could hear my voice," Azura told the siblings. The younger siblings went back to focusing on the task at hand. As they did so, Azura nodded in approval. "But to be honest, you both have really come a long way."

"Thank you, Azura. I-I'm glad you've started talking to us… more."

"…Me too."

Takumi nodded while sniping. "As long as it isn't about Sakura's tea parties."

Sakura gasped. "Huh? D-did you not like going to those? I'm sorry, Takumi, I should've known…"

"Ah! No! That's not what I meant! Uh… I…"

"Smooth," Azura taunted.

* * *

" **DIIIIIIE!** " Garon shouted. He jumped off his throne, charging toward Kamui and Ryoma.

"Oh gods!" Kamui and her brother jumped out of the way to avoid Bolverk. "Aha!"

The siblings struck Garon at the same time with Blazing Yato and Raijinto while the king struggled to remove his axe from the ground. "Grrr!" Inhaling through his teeth, Garon let go of the axe and grabbed Kamui by the throat. "C'mere!"

"Aaah!"

"Put her down!" Ryoma tried to attack Garon, but the king spun around and threw Kamui into him, and knocking them both down. After that, he waved his hand and hurled another fireball, getting them both. "Aaah!"

"Gah!"

"Now yer preheated, time to bring out the cutlery!" said Garon, finally getting his axe out of the ground. As this happened, Ryoma and Kamui put their flames out, and the prince provided concoctions for the both of them to drink. "Take this!"

Garon swung horizontally this time, but the Hoshidans leapt back. Ryoma flashed a look at his sister, and she nodded. Kamui traded Blazing Yato for her Dragonstone and morphed. " **FOR HOSHIDO!** "

"Heavens t' Betsy! How long were ya hidin' that one?!" the king shouted. His only response from Kamui's mouth was a torrential stream of water knocking him a few meters back.

" **Up to you, Ryoma!** " the dragon told her brother.

"You die! NOW!" Ryoma swung Raijinto and produced a lightning bolt to strike Garon. Normally it would already hurt, but since he was still drenched from Kamui's dragon breath…

" _GAAAAAAHHH!_ "

Garon's electrocution was audible for all in the throne room. The other Hoshidans had finished their battles and hurried to see what was going on. To their surprise, they came back in time to see Garon slowly getting back on his feet, coughing all the while.

"This… ain't… enough!"

" **Why… you…!** " Kamui rushed over to Garon and pinned him back down with her front feet. " **Why won't you just die already?! After everything you've done, you don't deserve to live anymore!** " She started pounding him over and over with her feet. " **You're a horrible father!** "

_Slam_

" **You're a merciless king!** "

_Slam_

" **You've killed every parent I've ever known!** "

_Slam_

" **And the person I loved the most!** "

_Slam_

" **You've devastated my kingdom and yours!** "

_Slam_

" **You have to die!** "

_Slam_

With that final pound, Kamui stepped off Garon and reverted to her human form, winded. Ryoma stared in horror. "…Wow. That was… intense."

"Aaagh…" Garon's armor had been dented and scratched. He still had burn marks, his crown had long fallen off, his cape had torn, his nose had begun to bleed, and it looked as though his eyes had rolled back into his head. "Un… ungrateful… brat… … …"

Everyone watched in silence.

Kamui stared at her own hands in awe. "I… did it?"

Ryoma looked over at the others. "Uhh… So you guys are all good, too?" Everyone mumbled in the affirmative. "O-okay then. I guess… we won?"

"Hm." Silas stroked his chin. "I kind thought he'd put up more of a fight than that."

"Why do you insist on saying stupid things?" Azura asked him.

" **Heheheheh…** "

Jakob let out a sigh. "Yes... Silas… Remind me to kill you later."

Everyone watched, as a dark fog appeared around Garon, enveloping him completely. When it cleared, all that remained was a hideous black dragon. It towered over even Ryoma by a few feet, its jaw hung in a primal manner, and its face consisted of a scaly grating, with one red light within acting as the eye.

" **YEEEHAW! BEEN A WHILE SINCE I GOT TO USE MY TRUE FORM!** " the dragon said. Everyone was rendered speechless, even Kamui. " **YEP! DID YA THINK YOU WERE THE ONLY DRAGON HERE, KID?!** "

Kamui stared at the beast in horror before responding. "Well… actually, yeah." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Neither of my families could transform, so…"

" **HAHAHAHA! WELL… IT HELPS THAT I AIN'T THE REAL GARON,** " he explained. Everyone gasped. " **NAW, HE'S LONG GONE NOW!** "

Izana snapped his fingers. "I knew it!"

Azura merely blinked. "This explains… way too much. About Garon, at least."

"So who is this dragon then?!" Hinoka asked.

" **AIN'T NO TIME FOR ANSWERS, I NEED TO KILL Y'ALL FOR RUININ' MAH DISGUISE!** " With surprisingly quick reflexes, the dragon reached out slammed Kamui to the floor, shattering Blazing Yato in the process. " **AND WE DON'T NEED NO FANCY TOYS! HEHEH...** "

"Aaaaah…!"

"KAMUI!" everyone cried out at once. Garon approached his prey and lifted his claw, before slamming it back down on Kamui.

" **NOT SO FUN WHEN IT'S _YOU_ , HUH?!**"

_Slam_

" **HAHAHAHAHAHA!** "

_Slam_

" **AHAHAHAHAHAHA!** "

_Slam_

Several others tried to approach Garon, but he sprayed a black smog all around, sickening each of them. Kamui struggled to escape.

"Nggg… nooo…"

" **NOW… WHERE WERE WE? OH YEAH!** "

_Slam_

Kamui tried to hold out…

_Slam_

...but it was too much for her.

_Slam_

At last, the light left her red eyes. _I'm… sorry… everyone…_

_Slam_

_Slam_

_Slam_

_Slam_


	23. Defending Her Birthright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale.

_"Corrin?"_

_Lady Corrin slowly opened her eyes. She was back home in the Northern Fortress. Two familiar faces stood beside her bed. "…Flora? Lilith?"_

_"Hi, Corrin," Lilith greeted. Flora smiled._

_"Good morning."_

_Lilith spoke again. "Hey, you have something important today, you should wake up."_

_"But… my bed's so soft!"_

_"Lady Corrin, is that an invitation for me to wake you up?" Flora asked. Corrin gasped and sat up._

_"No, don't! I'm awake!"_

_Flora giggled. "Well… not yet."_

_"Huh? Wait… Where are Felicia and Jakob? It's not like them to have you wake me by yourself. Usually you're only here if one of them is." Corrin then noticed the distressed expression on Flora's face, while Lilith also looked uncomfortable. "What… what's wrong?"_

_"Corrin!"_

_Before she could react, Corrin found Elise jumping onto the bed and hugging her. "Ah! Elise! I didn't know you were here! Hi!" Corrin hugged back._

_Then Xander walked into the room. He looked stern, and rather morose. "Corrin, you're finally up. Must be nice to doze away while your staff does the hard work."_

_Elise let go of Corrin and allowed the older princess to stand up. "I'm a night owl, Xander. You know that."_

_"Well you can't sleep in this time, Corrin," Elise said, no longer smiling. "It's… it's important."_

_Corrin sighed. "It's just… sometimes I feel like I'll be stuck in this fortress forever. And… I think I'm okay with that. You guys visit me," she looked over to Lilith and Flora, "we're all friends here," then looked down at the ground, "it's… nice. So what if Father never decides to… to… Father!"_

_"Is it coming back to you now?" Xander asked._

_Corrin clutched her head. "F-Father! W-we were fighting him! A-and… Oh… oh gods… you and Elise…" She again turned to her servants. "And Lilith and Flora… You all… does that mean…"_

_"You died?" Xander offered. Corrin nodded. "No. But you're very close. Maybe it has to do with the dragon blood in your veins. I don't know. You can still go back if you can focus." He shrugged. "Unless you want to stay here… But do you really think that would be for the best?"_

_"…No." She took another look at all her companions. "I miss all of you. But I can't afford to die now, not if I can help everyone stop that monster dragon!"_

_Flora smiled. "That's the Corrin we've come to know and love."_

_"What do I do? Didn't Garon break Blazing Yato?"_

_"Weren't you listening, Corrin? You just have to focus!" Elise told her._

_Corrin shrugged and decided to go for it. She shut her eyes and meditated, trying to remember the allies she had left behind. She heard their thoughts._

_"Kamui keeps worrying about me. She needs to worry about herself too…" Azura._

_"Wake up, Kamui! Come back!"_

_"My little sister isn't a quitter! She has to wake up!"_

_"C'mon, Kamui... Please..."_

_"K-Kamui, please stay with us!"_

_Her brothers and sisters…_

_"Lady Kamui, stiff upper lip! You cannot die now!"_

_"Lady Kamui, please! I don't want to lose any more family!"_

_"Everyone's so worried. But Kamui's tough, she'll be fine."_

_Jakob… Felicia… Silas…_

_"Lady Kamui can't kick the bucket yet…"_

_"Hey! You! Get up! You still gotta find Gunter, right?"_

_"Yikes! This is bad without Kamui…"_

_"Gods! Would she wake up already?! She's freaking me out!"_

_"Please do awaken, milady. I would hate to lose more of this family…"_

_Mozu… Izana… Scarlet… Shura… Yukimura…_

_"Lady Kamui, I'm sorry I left you. But please, you have to find the will to come back."_

_Was that… Kaze?_

* * *

_Kamui stood before Flora in a field of snow. "Huh? Wait, where are we?"_

_"We all wanted to talk to you one last time," Flora explained. "We'll miss you."_

_Kamui sniffled and reached out to embrace Flora. "Oh… I already miss you, Flora! I… I'm sorry I couldn't help you more! I'm a terrible liege!"_

_The maid smiled and pat Kamui on the back. "It'll be all right, Lady Cor… Lady Kamui. You know, I'm proud of you. You've come a long way since we lived in the fortress together. And… I'm sorry that I hurt you all, one last time. I shouldn't have done that to you."_

_The princess considered her next words. "Flora… since this will be the last time I see you… I want to thank you for always being there for me." She smiled. "Even if you didn't want to be there, you were, and I appreciate it."_

_"If I can be honest, I did come to enjoy the days in the fortress," Flora confessed. "You were wonderful to me and Felicia. Gunter was very understanding. Jakob was always so on top of things…" She sighed. "Maybe I just figured it out too late."_

_"There's one more thing," Kamui said. "After a few years, I realized… I loved you. It's too late now, but… I wish I could have told you before."_

_"…I know."_

_"Huh?"_

_"You weren't really that subtle, milady." Kamui blushed, causing Flora to giggle. Then her expression turned serious. "But… could you please give Felicia and Jakob my regards when you return? Lilith and I really will miss all of you."_

_"I will. We'll never forget you, Flora."_

* * *

_Kamui found herself back in the training grounds of the castle. Lilith stood before her. "Thanks for saving me, Lilith. I'm… I'm really sorry that you-"_

_"Kamui, don't say it," Lilith warned. She tried to change the subject. "I still remember how warm your hands were when you found me that one day…"_

_"Being reminded of the time I saved you just reminds me of how-"_

_"Then don't be reminded of it. Remember what Azura said? It's in the past. All you can do now is make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else." She took Kamui's hands into her own. "I believe in you, Kamui. I know you can do it because…" Lilith tried to say something, but cut herself short. "…Your family needs you, Kamui. Please don't leave them twice."_

_"Okay… But you know, you're my family too. You and Flora and everyone else from the Northern Fortress." Kamui managed to smile. "I'll look forward to seeing you all again once my time comes."_

_Lilith nearly choked up, but managed to smile. "…It means a lot to hear you say that, Kamui. I'll always be watching over you."_

* * *

_In Castle Krakenburg's reception room, Elise smirked. "You can do it, Corrin! I love you more than anyone in the world!"_

_"Hahaha! That's not very nice to Leo and Camilla and Xander, you know!"_

_"Aw I'm teasing!" She shamefully looked at her feet. "But… I'm sorry I died, Corrin. I was being reckless…"_

_Hearing Elise actually refer to herself as having 'died' made Kamui shudder. "Elise…" Kamui came closer and hugged her little sister. "I should be the one apologizing! If I wasn't so afraid of fighting Xander, maybe things wouldn't have escalated like that! But… but I guess that's not good enough now. We have to move on."_

_"Yeah. It's not so bad here," Elise told her. "Your other friends keep me company!"_

_Though she was in limbo, Kamui still felt a lump in her throat. "Elise… are you mad at me and Xander?"_

_A pregnant pause ensued, until Elise finally answered._

_"…Yeah. A little. That sword hurt. And you guys didn't listen to me… But when Xander showed up… he just looked so sad… He wouldn't look at me, and he kept mumbling about how he didn't do anything right in his life…" Elise tightened her hug. "Please stop Father, Corrin. I don't know how much more Xander can take." She forced a smile. "And tell Camilla and Leo not to fight, or I'll be mad when I see them again! …I'll miss them…" She sniffled._

_"Oh, Elise…" Kamui herself began to cry. "I'll miss you so much… Your visits were my favorite part of staying in the Northern Fortress." She sniffled too. "You know, I remember that you'd always tell me about things you saw on the outside."_

_"Yeah. I did. You always thought everything was so cool," Elise said, looking up at Kamui._

_"I'll do the same thing for you, then. When I come back, I'll tell you all about Hoshido, and Izumo and Kohga and everything! I'll do so many things, that I bet you'll get bored listening to me! So look forward to that, Elise!"_

_"Yeah…" She smiled for real. "I'll wait for you!"_

_Elise faded away, to Kamui's shock, then she felt a tap on her shoulder before she could react further. She turned around and saw Xander. "Little Princess…"_

_"Xander…"_

_"I couldn't do the same as you, or any of our siblings could. I had no freedom to choose any side but Nohr. And that cost me everything I held dear…" He shuddered, remembering his last night alive. "But it's as I told you, you can keep going." Regret showed on Xander's face. "Our father is long gone."_

_Kamui nodded. "I've heard…"_

_"I'd hoped… that if I followed in his footsteps, brought glory to Nohr… that maybe he'd return to being the man he once was." Xander smiled wistfully. "Garon used to be stern, but fair. He wouldn't hold anything back, but you could tell he had a heart. But now…" He let out a sigh. "But that man is gone, and he's never coming back. His war is the reason for all this madness. Please," he then put both hands on her shoulder, "I beg of you! Do whatever you can to stop him!"_

_"I… Okay…"_

_"If you can focus on Siegfried's divine energy, then your sword should be able to return to you," the fallen prince explained._

_Kamui nodded her head. "All right. Thank you, Xander. But, I have something I want you to do too."_

_"You do?" he asked. Kamui said nothing and put her arms around his waist. The elder brother stood there in shock._

_"...Come on."_

_"Corrin, I…" Xander's argument fell short as he sighed and hugged his sister one last time. "…Be good, Corrin. Be better than me."_

_"All right, Xander. And make sure you talk to Elise every day for all of us. Okay?"_

_"I… I don't deserve-"_

_Kamui looked up at him. "It hurts her to see you so upset, Xander. And it hurts me too!" She blanched. "The rest of us can't talk to Elise anymore. And… you still love her, Xander. Please. Leo, Camilla and I wouldn't want to know that our siblings aren't even together in death."_

_"…I'll try. Thank you… Kamui."_

_He pat her on the back and disappeared, leaving Kamui all alone. She looked around. "All right… Siegfried!" Focusing on the power of her brother's divine weapon, the shards of Blazing Yato appeared. They joined together in Kamui's grasp, returned to full glory. "I'll miss you guys. I won't let this second chance go to waste!"_

* * *

"AAAAH!" Kamui shot up awake. Sakura, Felicia and Jakob were all hovering over her. The younger Hoshidan princess put her arms around Kamui and cried.

"Th-thank goodness! I-I was so worried, Kamui, I d-d-didn't want t-to lose you!"

Felicia then joined Sakura. "Yeah, we're so glad you're okay, Kamui! Don't do that again!"

Jakob had caught his breath, and wiped his brow. "Yes… That was incredibly upsetting."

"Jakob was hyperventilating before you woke up!" Felicia told her liege.

"Don't tell her that, Felicia! She doesn't need to worry about me!"

Kamui put her arms around her sister and maid, hugging them back. "I couldn't leave you all behind. Not yet." They all let go and Kamui stood back up. "Aaaah… I feel good for someone who just got slammed by a dragon's claw…"

"W-we were healing you," Sakura told her.

"Well thank you, Sakura." Kamui's red eyes lit up. "Oh! That reminds me! Felicia, Jakob… I saw Flora and Lilith. They're going to watch over us." Hearing Kamui's words, Felicia smiled and shed some tears. Jakob looked as though he were rendered speechless.

"Sister!" Ryoma called out to Kamui, with Azura following behind him. "You've recovered!"

"Yeah. Sorry, Ryoma. I didn't mean to lock up back there. Uh, what's happening?"

Azura winced. "Well, we're all hiding in a makeshift shelter of the ceiling's debris." Kamui looked around for the first time and noticed that Azura was right. "After killing you, or not, Dragon-Garon went on a rampage. Now Yukimura's thinking of a plan to get out with our lives."

"Why can't we just stop Garon? I have the Blazing Yato back!" Kamui drew the blade from her sheath. "See? We can finish this!"

"In that case, I have an idea," Azura told the group. "I'm going to sing my song. And this time, I'm going to mean it."

"…What?" Jakob asked.

" _Lost in Thoughts All Alone_ is a song that will weaken whatever demon dragon Garon's turned into," she explained. "If he hears that song, and you all attack with your special weapons, that'll do the trick."

"But… but Azura, your song hurts you!" Sakura cried.

"Yeah, and Garon's gonna do worse if I don't sing!"

Ryoma shut his eyes. "Azura… You know that I hate to ask this of you, knowing what it would do. But we shall accept this help. Sakura…" Reluctantly, the young princess left to inform Yukimura. "Now… Will we need to eliminate all sounds again? Because I have the feeling Garon won't sit still."

Azura shook her head. "No. I'll just draw more power from the pendant. And if the song ends, I'll just keep going." She winced. "Don't take too long, okay?"

Kamui took Azura's hand into her own. "Azura, please be careful. I really don't want you to die too."

"Relax, Kamui. After today, no more. All right?"

"Okay…"

* * *

The plan was born. Azura would sing in the center of the Hoshidans' shelter, while Jakob and Felicia protected her. Closer to the exit, Hinoka, Yukimura and Izana would fend off any ambushers. Silas, Mozu and Ryoma would do the same on the other end. Scarlet would fly with Shura back and forth to support whomever needed it. They would take Sakura for healing purposes. Meanwhile Takumi and Kamui would make a straight shot for Garon.

If he had eyelids, the dragon would narrow them in fury at the sight of the royals. " **WUZZAT?! YOU SURVIVED?! AND YER DANG SWORD?! WELL C'MERE CORRIN, I'LL BREAK YA ALL OVER AGAIN!** "

"Your reign of terror is over, Garon," Ryoma called. "For the fate of Hoshido and Nohr, we will dethrone you!"

Kamui turned back. "Azura, now!"

**"You are the ocean's gray waaaaaaves…"**

Garon lurched.

" **GAH! WHA- WHAT?! CAN'T… HARDLY… MOVE! AN…ANANKOS… HELP!** "

"NOW!" Ryoma screamed.

* * *

Azura stood in place, focusing only on her song. Felicia stood, ready to go, while Jakob paced nervously about. "All right! Come at us if you dare! We shall be ready!" He turned his head. "Isn't that right, Felicia?!"

"Yeah!"

"Just you try it, Garon's henchmen! W-we can do this, right Felicia?!"

"You got it!"

"I… No seriously, we can do this, right?!"

"Jakob, take it easy!"

He stopped pacing. "Take it easy?! Our lady is doing battle with her evil dragon father and we're protecting the one person whose continued survival will allow Lady Kamui even a chance at winning! And you want me to take it easy?!"

"Uh… yes? And maybe we should stop talking so Azura can focus?"

"You have some nerve to-" Jakob blinked. "Okay actually yes, good point."

Jakob went back to keeping watch and Felicia giggled. "Can't believe I got him to shut up… Hee!"

* * *

Silent Berserkers and Generals threw weapons at Silas, and he rode his horse to avoid them. He threw a javelin at one of them, but others still remained. "Oh yeah… Not one of my better moves."

"No more of you bad apples!" Mozu hurried over to Silas's side and fired arrows at the enemies.

" **DRAGON'S…. VEIN!** " A dark miasma began to form around Silas and Mozu, much like the one Garon spewed earlier. " **MORE… BLIGHT…** "

"Ack! Dang it, Garon!"

Mozu could only cough. The two of them were sunk, until Mozu felt a man carrying her out of the fog. She next heard Shura's voice. "Hey! Princess! Got one!"

"Thank you Shura!" Sakura got on her knees and began to heal Mozu, freeing the Adventurer to retrieve Silas. "Don't worry, Mozu! I'm here for you!"

Silas's horse woozily walked out of the fog and collapsed, sending Silas to the floor. One of the Silent Generals got close to him, until Scarlet swooped in and beat it with her axe. "Ha! Saved your life!"

"Ugh… thanks…."

Shura hurried over and pulled out a Mend staff. He shook it over Silas a few times. "There. It doesn't have a lotta uses left, so don't make me do that again! Where's Prince Ryoma?"

Silas weakly pointed at the prince, surrounded by Silent Heroes, systematically wiping them out. "See your death, see your death, see your death…"

"Okay he's fine," Shura dismissed.

* * *

Izana crawled out of the Blight. "Aaah! My hair! It's ruined!" It had grayed a bit and was ruffled. "Garon will pay! Pay, I tell you!" The Onmyoji furiously swung his scroll, sending little sheets out to attack all nearby monsters.

"Hm. Serves him right…" Yukimura muttered.

"You stay away from my sister!" Hinoka shouted, taking out an enemy archer trying to reach Azura. "Yukimura, you ready?"

The Mechanist launched an arrow at a Silent Undead Wyvern's wing, grounding it, before firing yet another at its head. "Of course!" Yukimura concentrated, and there was suddenly a second Yukimura beside him, sitting on his own contraption. "I'll take the flyers!"

"And so will I!" said the other Yukimura. "And you can fight anyone else, just as we planned!"

"Good!" She raised her eyebrow. "Say, can you make more replicas?"

The first Yukimura shrugged. "I… don't know. But having two of me is already tricky enough on my mind."

"Oh, so you still have to think for the both of you… There goes my plan of making an army of you… Or an army of me, even. Whatever!" Hinoka smirked at the incoming monsters before her Pegasus. "I'm not gonna let everybody down!"

She flew into the fray, with Yukimura and his replica following behind.

* * *

Kamui and Takumi ran together, taking turns mowing down any soldier standing between them and the Blight Dragon. When they were close enough, Garon stomped over, straining himself as he did so. " **YOU… WILL DIE! THIS… IS YOUR FAULT! YOU… CHOSE THIS!** "

"I did. And I won't regret it anymore!" Kamui shouted defiantly.

" **GRRR…!** " Garon struggled and swung one of his frontal claws, but Takumi shot at its palm with Fujin. " **AAAAH!** "

"Ha! You're a bigger target, you idiot!" Takumi prepared another arrow, but Blight began to form around him. Kamui gasped and tackled Takumi, getting them both out of harm's way and onto the floor. "Ow! What was that?!"

"I was saving you from the fog!"

Takumi observed. "Oh yeah. What is that anyway?"

"How should I know?!"

The Sniper shrugged. "I don't know! He was _your_ father!"

"Barely! Uh-oh." Kamui cut her argument short in favor of slashing an incoming claw.

" **GAH! HOW DARE YOU!** " Garon expanded his boney wings and tried to crush the siblings between them and the floor, however they managed to dodge. Kamui ran onto one of the wings. " **GET OFF ME!** "

"Gotcha!" Takumi shot Garon in the face before the dragon could attempt to spray Kamui.

" **AAH!** "

"Now!" Kamui jumped onto Garon's back and plunged Blazing Yato into the beast's neck.

" **YAAAAAAAAAAAAH!** " The Blight Dragon thrashed around, and Kamui tried to hold onto Blazing Yato for dear life. She gritted her teeth and tried to force the sword into Garon's neck further. " **G'GYAAAAAAAA!** "

The Blight Dragon collapsed to the floor with a final forward motion, throwing Kamui off his back.

" **This…. can't… beeeee….** "

As though held together by Garon's lifeblood, all the Silent soldiers began to dissipate into water. Hinoka in particular was about to slash one with her weapon, when it dissipated before her. "What the- Huh?" She and Yukimura looked around and saw everyone else having similar experiences, as well as the Blight fog fading.

" **-flowing like time/the path is/yours to climb… You are the ocean's gray waves…** " Azura opened her eyes and fell onto her side. "Ugh… Is it over?"

Kamui got back up and walked back over to where she and Takumi had left Garon. They both saw the wounded king, back in human form, Blazing Yato protruding from his back. "Takumi…?"

"I-I don't know! He just got up!"

Garon slowly blinked. "Who… are you?"

"What?" Kamui and Takumi exchanged confused looks. "Uh… Corrin? Well- Kamui, really. But, you-"

" _I feel… at peace…_ " Garon whispered. Noticeably, he no longer had that mysterious accent. " _Thank you…_ "

Kamui and Takumi watched in confusion. Their worst enemy had quietly and politely accepted his defeat before them. And before Kamui could think to ask any questions, King Garon faded away in water, much like the monstrous soldiers before him. He had vanished, leaving Blazing Yato behind.

"…He's gone."

"That… didn't feel as good as it should've," Takumi said.

"No… Then again, that wasn't the real Garon after all. I guess that monster took him over or something."

"Oh well," Takumi shrugged. "But we did it!"

"Azura, hang on!" Both siblings winced at the sound of Hinoka's panicked voice.

They immediately hurried back to the center of the room and found the songstress collapsed on the floor, the ominous energy eating away at her once again. She had Sakura and Hinoka on their knees, trying to heal her. Everyone else kept a relative distance in case of ambush. "I-it's no good! Th-this is just like back in that f-fortress!"

"Azura, did… did you know this would happen?" Ryoma asked.

"Urgh… Would you… let me sing if I told you… told you otherwise?" Azura questioned. All her siblings were discomforted in the knowledge that, no, perhaps they would not have let Azura sing. "But… I'm sorry…"

Kamui took a breath. "Azura, just try to hang on. We did it! We can finally go home and move on from this war!"

Azura weakly smiled. She tried to speak, but Hinoka cut her off. "Don't talk, Azura! You have to save your energy! Just focus on getting past this!"

"Yeah, c'mon Azura!" Takumi told her. "You can't just leave us! You're our sister too!"

" _I… know that_ ," Azura whispered, feeling weaker by the moment. " _And, I'm sorry. But I'm happy… I got to feel the warmth of a family… So can… you guys… urk!_ " The other siblings all flinched, as Azura's breathing grew rougher. " _Can… you all… smile for me…? I want… to remember you… that way…"_

"B-but… Sure," Hinoka relented, cracking a small smile, though she felt tears coming. "We love you, Azura."

Ryoma did the same. "You've always had a calming presence."

"I'm… glad we got to patch things up," Takumi muttered, forcing a smile.

"Thank you, Azura…" Kamui sniffled. "I wish I could've known you more…"

Sakura could barely hold her smile. "I… I'll miss you, Azura…"

" _Thank… you…_ " Azura gave them all a smile of her own, before the curse finally took her…

…and she faded into watery wisps.

* * *

"Everyone! King Ryoma is going to speak!" Yukimura announced.

Finally, the war was only a memory, and the world could continue. It was the day of Ryoma's coronation and, for once, the royal family had donned their formal attire, including Ryoma. Kamui had only worn her armor up to this point, and the fitting process was longer than it should have been.

Yukimura stood by Ryoma's side, while the new king's remaining siblings all waited behind them. "They're all yours, Your Majesty."

"Yes…" Ryoma stepped forward. "People of Hoshido, I was never good at long speeches, so I will keep this concise…"

Takumi leaned toward Sakura. "What do you want to bet he says 200 words before getting to the point?"

"He would not! …Well… he might do 150…"

Hinoka noticed a troubled expression on Kamui's face. "Kamui? What's up?"

"…I don't think I've ever seen Ryoma without his faceguard since childhood."

"What? Of course you have. There was that time… uh… Oh wow."

Ryoma stared at the crowd. "…So yeah let's keep being peaceful like we used to be. Uh, but we should definitely look into, uh, negotiating trade with other countries. You know Nohr has a famine right now, right? So, uh, nobody likes a sore winner, remember that. Uh… and…"

Nobody was impressed.

"Today there will be free ice cream in the marketplace!"

"YEEEEEEEAH!"

The former prince accepted his new crown as the audience cheered for their free ice cream. Kamui smiled and turned to Hinoka. "What do you think Mother would say if she could see him now?"

Hinoka blinked.

_WOO! YEAH! That's m'boy! Suck on that, Nohr!_

"…She'd… be excited."

"Miladies, the ceremony is not finished yet" Yukimura told them. Kamui and Hinoka hushed themselves, as Yukimura turned back to the public. "And that concludes the ceremony."

"…Oh." Kamui shook her head.

* * *

At the reception, everyone had gravitated toward Ryoma at least once or twice over, and Kamui smiled, watching from a distance. _He's a natural. Heck, when I first came here, I thought he already was in charge. He's earned it, though…_

"Corrin! I almost didn't recognize you in that kimono!" The Hoshidan princess turned to face Camilla and Leo.

 _Oh. This will be the first time we've spoken since shortly after…_ "Hi Camilla, hi Leo… Are you comfortable?"

"Well this is a very pretty place you have here," Camilla complimented. Leo waffled his hand.

"It's okay."

"The cherry blossoms are lovely."

"They go from full blossom to bare in a week. A single week."

Camilla turned to Leo knowingly. "You know that princess you like is named for those blossoms."

"Uh… I meant… it's… fleeting and… beautiful… Yeah that's it."

Kamui giggled. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying your stay. Camilla, when are you getting crowned, anyway?"

"Pfft! Me? Queen? Screw that. Leo can do it."

He looked over. "Uh, I'd kind of rather be _King_ than Queen, just personal preference."

"Really?" Kamui asked. "Oh. Well…" She looked at the ground. "I… I'm sorry that it came to this."

Leo sighed. "That whole night was just… horrible. For everyone. But if things go according to my plan, nothing like that will ever happen again. Pointless wars... I'm sick just thinking about it."

"So Camilla, what _are_ you doing then?"

"Well Niles- Leo's retainer- and I are dating now," she said. Kamui gasped, while Leo shook his head.

"Yeah… That was a fun scene to walk in on…" Leo shivered.

"Is… I want to ask if I could help you in some way, but… I've hurt you both a lot." Kamui shut her eyes. "I can't just do any favors for you like nothing happened, huh?"

"To be fair, Father was literally a monster," Leo reminded her. "That crystal ball Azura showed me, remember? If I knew that, I might've done the same as you. ...Maybe."

Camilla winced. "I still didn't believe it at first, but if Leo trusts someone, that's usually a good sign."

"Well anyway, I'll look forward to seeing you and the rest at my- Niles, no! That is not appropriate!" Leo stormed off, and Camilla followed.

"See you eventually, Co- Kamui!"

Kamui waved. "Okay! …And you can still call me 'Corrin' if you want!"

Felicia walked up to Kamui, dressed as a Dread Fighter. "Man! Being a commander is so much better than being a maid! I should've done this years ago!"

"I told you back when we first got here, but you wanted to keep being a maid," Kamui told her. Jakob appeared shortly behind her.

"Well, better late than never. Anyway, Lady Kamui, isn't there something you need me to do during this festival?"

"Jakob, just have fun already!" Kamui told him. She took him by the wrist and walked off with him. "Come on, we'll go find Silas and Mozu, and they'll explain it."

* * *

That evening, Kamui found herself sitting on the lakeside bridge where she had first met Azura. She smiled tiredly into the sunset. "Wow… That was some festival… Things sure are different from how they used to be… in Nohr, in that fortress... Now I'm Hoshidan, and my brother is the king..."

She looked to the sky.

"I'll need to find a good time to leave for Notre Sagesse… I'll find you, Gunter."

A white shape appeared in Kamui's peripheral vision. She looked over and saw Azura standing beside her.

"Azura?!"

"Kamui."

Kamui stood right up and put her arms around Azura. "I can't believe it! You came back! This is great, we have to tell the others!"

"First, you need to let go of me." So Kamui did. "Then, I want you to look in the water."

"Um, okay…" Kamui glanced down at the water. "What am I looking for?" There was no answer. "Azura?" Kamui turned her head, but Azura was gone. Or maybe she was never there at all. "…Oh."

* * *

"Woooo!"

"Aaaaah!"

Hinoka enjoyed her flight with Kamui far more than the younger sister. The elder laughed. "Hahaha! Get used to it, Kamui! I'm taking you flying every chance I get until you're caught up with Takumi and Sakura!"

"That's okay, I don't like being this high up after all! They can take my rides for me!"

"Hahahaha!"

The sisters soared through the Hoshidan countryside until finally returning to Shirasagi. They landed in the town square. When the Pegasus was firmly on the ground, Kamui hopped off and embraced the bricks. "Land ahoy, I missed you!"

Hinoka chuckled to herself and dismounted as well, waiting for Kamui to stand. They went over to join Sakura and Takumi, with the youngest sister smiling. "Did you enjoy the flight?"

"You like flying with Hinoka?!"

Sakura nodded.

"Then you're officially braver than me, Sakura! Haha!" Kamui hugged her little sister, while Takumi smirked.

"If you're staying with us, you're gonna learn to love it. And reading. And chopsticks. And-"

"Okay, I get it. I'll drop the archery lessons to make room for flying lessons, how's that?" Kamui teased. Takumi shook his head playfully.

"All right! It's done!" Ryoma called. Everyone went to join him by the new statue. It was a sculpture of the late Queen Mikoto. It looked just like her. Everyone in the town square watched in reverence, as Ryoma nodded.

"I told her everything. How, even though things looked bleak, we all came together as a family. How we fought for each other and our homeland, and to restore peace. How we've grown braver," Sakura smiled, "how we've found our inner strength," Takumi nodded, "that we refused to back down," Hinoka grinned, "and that we're ready for the future."

Kamui was taken by surprise as Ryoma put an arm around her shoulder.

"As a family."

"…Yeah…" Kamui smiled.

_Family._

* * *

**FINAL RESULTS:**

**Chapter 1 – Pilot – MVP: Corrin**

**Chapter 2 – Garon Family Happy Hour – MVP: Corrin, Gunter**

**Chapter 3 – From Nohr, With Love – MVP: Corrin, Gunter**

**Chapter 4 – Kaze Dies at the End – MVP: Corrin, Rinkah**

**Chapter 5 – Corrin's First Festival – MVP: Corrin, Kaze**

**Chapter 6 – Turning Hoshidan – MVP: Corrin, Kaze**

**Chapter 7 – Jinya Japes – MVP: Hana, Subaki**

**Chapter 8 – Hot Air – MVP: Corrin, Silas**

**Chapter 9 – Weekend at Izana's – MVP: Hinoka, Saizo**

**Chapter 10 – Don't Ask a Ninja – MVP: Saizo, Kaze**

**Chapter 11 – Cruising for a Bruising – MVP: Hinata, Oboro**

**Chapter 12 – A Night at the Opera (Storm) – MVP: Hinoka, Kaden**

**Chapter 13 – O Sister, Where Art Thou? – MVP: Hinoka, Corrin**

**Chapter 14 – Law and Border – MVP: Ryoma, Felicia**

**Chapter 15 – Beatin' Keaton – MVP: Kamui, Ryoma**

**Chapter 16 – Medicine Mayhem (Storm) – MVP: Kamui, Sakura**

**Chapter 17 – Frostbite – MVP: Takumi, Sakura**

**Chapter 18 – The Fresh Prince of Nohr – MVP: Felicia, Hinata**

**Chapter 19 – Rainbow Seven (Storm) – MVP: Mozu, Hinoka**

**Chapter 20 – Gut Reaction – MVP: Kamui, Silas**

**Chapter 21 – How Yukimura Met Your Mother – MVP: Scarlet, Azura**

**Chapter 22 – Fear and Loathing in Windmire – MVP: Kamui, Oboro**

**Chapter 23 – Twisted Sister – MVP: Hinoka, Yukimura**

**Chapter 24 – Hans-On Experience – MVP: Kamui, Jakob**

**Chapter 25 – The Iago Show – MVP: Hinoka, Ryoma**

**Chapter 26 – Xander Gon' Give It To Ya – MVP: Kamui, Shura**

**Chapter 27 – Father of the Year – MVP: Kamui, Ryoma**

**Endgame – Defending Her Birthright – MVP: Kamui, Takumi**

* * *

**Hayato – Walking Sales Pitch – Ch. 8, 10, 16:** Hayato's exploits brought publicity to the Wind Tribe. Most of it was ironic tourism, but money is money.

 **Kagero – A Retainer – Ch. 10, 11, 17:** Kagero did nothing of note, though historians mispronounce her name as "Kay-Garrow". No one was sure how that happened.

 **Reina – Murder Matron – Ch. 11, 13, 20:** Reina served in the palace, even without Mikoto's presence. Oh, and she reconciled with her parents.

 **Subaki – Perfection Personified – Ch. 7, 8, 16:** Subaki eventually gained psychic powers through veganism. If you knew the science, then I'd talk to you.

 **Setsuna – Pitfall Princess – Ch. 8, 11, 17:** Setsuna didn't really do anything, and that didn't bother her.

 **Azama – Ascetic & Acidic – Ch. 8, 11, 17:** Azama ended up being the central figure of a new religion based on trolling people. His last act as retainer was to find an even more obnoxious replacement.

 **Kaden – Foxy Grandpa(?) – Ch. 12, 14, 19:** Kaden eventually became the chief of his village and formed an alliance with the royal family. He also ate the most free ice cream during Ryoma's coronation.

 **Orochi – Hyena Woman – Ch. 7, 8, 13, 20:** Orochi used her future vision to cheat the lottery, then go on an extended vacation. She brought back souvenirs, though.

 **Hinata – Field Fiend – Ch. 9, 11, 12, 18:** Hinata eventually retired to travel the world and play in every new field he saw. Then he wrote a book about it.

 **Rinkah – Firebrand – Ch. 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 19:** Rinkah mostly hung around the castle, talking about her tribe (which never existed) as always.

 **Saizo – Player 1 Ninja – Ch. 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 18:** Saizo probably served King Ryoma, but he destroyed all records of his existence. That's true ninja-bility.

 **Hana – Flower Power – Ch. 7, 8, 11, 14, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26:** Hana one time learned how to cut a mountain in half. Or so she claimed. Subaki was eager to learn the truth.

 **Oboro – Couture Queen – Ch. 9, 11, 12, 15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26:** Oboro reopened her parent's store and became a conglomerate with Street Fashions, Hoshido. "To be or not to be. Who do you want to be?"

 **Shura – Skunk Head – Starring Role:** Shura was able to rebuild Kohga. But he made it a hot tourist destination and took all the money from the Wind Tribe and Izumo, turning into a business tycoon.

 **Yukimura – Four-Eyes – Starring Role:** Yukimura eventually retired and invented Rube Goldberg. Yes, he invented the person Rube Goldberg. Fear Yukimura.

 **Scarlet – Freewheeler – Starring Role:** Scarlet was made a hero in Cheve and became something like a mascot for them. She didn't mind, because she was able to make things shiny with gems.

 **Izana – Party Animal – Starring Role:** Izana's nebulous goodwill haunted him, as the Wind Tribe and New Kohga deprived Izumo of tourism. He eventually chose his nephew as heir and went off to meditate. Or party. Probably party.

 **Mozu – Queen of the Farm – Starring Role:** Mozu found a home in Castle Shirasagi, helping royal and commoner alike, with her husband. She became everybody's favorite before long.

 **Silas – Nearly Shining Armor – Starring Role:** Silas later became an elite guard for Castle Shirasagi, allowing him to spend every day with his wife and his best friend. He often visited his parents in town.

 **Kaze – Player 2 Ninja – Starring Role:** [Retired in Chapter 15]

 **Felicia – Trouble Getter – Starring Role:** As a Dread Fighter, Felicia wasted no time in becoming one of Hoshido's better warriors. She missed Flora, but appreciated her new lease on life.

 **Jakob – Prickly Pal – Starring Role:** Jakob continued to serve Lady Kamui for the rest of his life. While he rarely admitted it, he grew fond of Kamui's new family in the place of the friends he'd lost.

 **Sakura – White Mage – Starring Role:** Sakura traveled to Nohr as a diplomat. After a few years, she fell in love with the king. Thankfully that helped strengthen the kingdoms' ties.

 **Takumi – Stud McCool – Starring Role:** Takumi took Ryoma on his offer to become an adviser, but only once Yukimura retired. He wasn't the most popular among Ryoma's support team, but he got results, dang it.

 **Hinoka – Wing Commander – Starring Role:** Surprising no one, Hinoka became a general in Hoshido's army. She never did get any better retainers, though.

 **Ryoma – King Crab – Starring Role:** King Ryoma did a lot of the same things as Mikoto before him, and no one seemed to mind. He also learned how to give proper speeches, toward the middle of his reign.

 **Azura – Song Swan – Starring Role:** Azura was never forgotten by the royal family. Ryoma had a statue of her sculpted, and the family would visit on Azura's every birthday.

 **Kamui – Justice Seeker – Starring Role:** Kamui found Gunter after a year, and the knight retired to Cheve. Though the lives lost along the way hurt Princess Kamui, she was able to enjoy the rest of hers with her Hoshidan family, at long last.

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Welp.
> 
> Before we get into general notes, let's talk about this chapter.
> 
> I thought I was done writing sad, emotional scenes in this story. But that sequence of Corrin talking to the fallen characters really got to me. Like... ouch, man. And yeah, Kaze's gone. But I threw him one final line. And then we get to the final battle. For the first time, Azura actually sings her song. It was only right. Originally, Ryoma and Takumi were in each other's places in this battle, but it felt a little cheesy to have Corrin and Ryoma fighting together again. Having Takumi instead just felt right. And let me tell you, writing a fight scene between people is hard enough, but a fight with a giant dragon? Yikes! I eventually settled on some Shadow of the Colossus-type stuff.
> 
> Azura's death... Writing that scene hurt, but more for the siblings than because Azura was dying. I kind of expected her to die, but the game ignores that they're her family too. So throughout this whole fic, I've played up their relationship, and I'm glad Azura ultimately patched things up with all of them before the story ended. Then Ryoma's coronation. I wanted Corrin to be aware that things with Leo and Camilla can't go back to how they were, but ultimately they're still on good terms. They all recognize that there were a lot of things that were out of their control, and extenuating circumstances. I see a lot of angsty King Leo fics, but from the game's text? He said he had big plans. I'm sure he'd prefer Xander, but I think Leo's ultimately willing to do this. Though I do think Camilla would have made an interesting queen. And, let's be real... for all the emotions I worked in, this was meant to be a light story in the end.
> 
> And then the ending... it just... When I played these games (mainly Birthright), Corrin's entire family issue touched me. Corrin's bond with their allied family means as much to me as a lot of people's OTPs do to them. I said it. They had this family back home, and it hurt to leave them. But at the same time, they finally get to reunite with the family they were meant to live with, and were happy to see them return. And just knowing that now they'll get to enjoy their lives together (though without Azura, sadly), it just makes me feel good inside. And that's one of the big reasons why I'll still stick up for Corrin and this game. The story writing leaves a lot to be desired, and the player worship is out of control. Even in Birthright, though it's still my favorite story of the three. But at the end of the day, I'm still attached to these characters and I'm glad to have written for them.
> 
> So yeah... Here we are.
> 
> I honestly can't believe I pulled this off. From start to finish, I wrote both storylines of the game, kept track of all the plot threads and characters, and hopefully it all had consistent quality. Not only that, but writing these stories really got me to try different genres. A lot more dramatic elements than in my past works, a lot of warm and fuzzy times too. I'm really happy with how all this came out, and I'm glad I decided to do it.
> 
> And if somehow you were crazy enough to sit through all of this, then you have my thanks. It means a lot.
> 
> If you still feel crazy, you can go check out the Conquest story, unless you already have. Or Leo vs. The World. Or you could see what other authors are doing. We've got some good ones in this fandom, look around.
> 
> Revelation: Gray Whirlpool (Flow) will make its debut some time in January or February. Look forward to it. And thanks for reading.


End file.
